| The contractual agreement between Courtney Benn Contracting Services and the Guyana Government will have to be adjusted, so as to ensure that the Hope/Dochfour Canal’s looming December 2013 deadline is met.Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy visited the site on Saturday last,Cheap Nike Shox, and told this newspaper that while the other two structures are moving apace, if works on the high-level sluice continue at its current pace, it is unlikely that the approaching December 31 deadline will be met.The eight-gated sluice a critical structure of the Hope Canal project.“It is still possible, but with the way that he (Courtney Benn) is working, Hope Canal would not meet its deadline.”The Minister explained that as part of the new agreement Courtney Benn Contracting Services will have to get more equipment, hire additional workers and partner with another contractor so that the project can be completed before next year.The hiring of these workers and the provision of more machinery would be done at the expense of Courtney Benn Contracting Services, Dr. Ramsammy stressed.He noted that the most critical part of the sluice, its foundation, is just about 50 percent completed, with the least difficult part of the structure yet to be completed.Hope/ Dochfour Canal is more than a year behind schedule, and earlier this month, Minister Ramsammy said that the Guyana Government is finally prepared to impose the penalty clause on contractors, should the Hope/Dochfour Canal not be completed by the agreed date.Ramsammy noted that his Ministry has been quite patient with the three contracted companies- DIPCON Engineering,Nike Air Force One Shoes Women, BK International and Courtney Benn Contracting Services, especially as it relates to accommodating extensions of proposed deadlines.The construction of the $3B Hope/Dochfour Northern Relief Channel was undertaken by former Minister of Agriculture,Cheap Air Max 90 Kpu Sale, Robert Persaud, who estimated an 18-month completion, when construction commenced in February 2011.Late last year Dr. Ramsammy, in his capacity as Agriculture Minister, announced an extended completion date – June 2013. This was subsequently extended to August 31,Nike Air Max 97 Buy, and later to December-January 2013.One of the largest infrastructure initiatives in Guyana’s history, overall works on the Hope/Dochfour Canal is approximately 80 percent completed.It has been purported that the relief channel would have the capacity to withstand floods greater than that which occurred in 2005.So far, the three-gated Head Regulator- the component assigned to BK International is nearing completion.The excavation of the 10.3km long earthen channel, which is being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, is about 90 percent complete. The process of shaping the dam is currently ongoing, with 30 percent already done.Ultimately, the delay on the sluice will stall the entire project operation, since each structure is dependent on the other.The channel is being constructed to ease the pressure of water on the East Demerara Water Conservancy at times when it reaches its maximum capacity,Cheap Air Max 2018 Shoes, releasing it into the Atlantic Ocean, via the Sluice.Meanwhile, the bridge, sited on the East Coast Public Road, is about 80 percent complete.Works are being carried out by DIPCON Engineering. Dr. Ramsammy said that the process of building an incline road to the bridge is also currently ongoing.Ramsammy did not disclose what the penalty would be, should the contractors not meet the projected deadline.Nonetheless, he is hopeful that Courtney Benn Contracting Services would comply with orders to hire additional workers, so that the work could speed up.The Minister said however,2018 World Cup Russia Jerseys, that the contractors have been working under strenuous circumstances, but despite this, a substantial amount of work has been completed so far.“Even people close to me had said that this project would be impossible, but today, for us to be talking about a deadline, is a major accomplishment,” Dr. Ramsammy said, adding that he is hopeful that none of the contractors would let him down by failing to meet the December deadline.Earlier, in July, a Parliamentary committee visited the multibillion dollar relief channel. Opposition Members of Parliament Joseph Harmon and Rupert Roopnaraine said that they were generally impressed with the works.Roopnaraine had said that even though he was skeptical at the outset about the project and its significant cost, it is commendable that the local engineers and their subordinates were able to overcome the many technical challenges and complete a considerable portion of the overall project.He had said however that initially, he was for the upgrading the East Bank Demerara outlets, rather than the major investment in the Hope Canal.“I think that whenever it’s completed, the Hope Canal will serve its purpose. I think the work that these engineers were able to complete, with all the technical challenges, is impressive,” A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Roopnaraine added.Joseph Harmon had told Kaieteur News that the works being carried out by the local engineers are testament to the fact that “We don’t need so much of the Chinese and other foreign contractors.”The project is being spearheaded by Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, Lionel Wordsworth, and is being supervised by Raymond Latchman Singh and Dr. Ramsammy. |
