| The $3.6B project to build a canal on East Coast Demerara to reduce flooding has run into another hurdle.This time, residents of Dochfour, a village that is east of the canal, have stopped contractors from continuing works. They are calling on authorities to meet with them to iron out several issues, including roads, waterResidents of Dochfour want Government to pay attention to several issues.and safety.According to Roy Kingston, a resident of the area, there have been ongoing complaints but authorities have not been responding in a timely manner.Dochfour and Hope were two communities that were closely knit until the canal project was launched in 2010. The canal has now separated the two communities with a little earthen walkway soon to be removed by excavators.Following the 2005 floods which devastated the East Coast and was blamed for back waters coming down from the East Demerara Water Conservancy, Government had initiated the Hope/Dochfour canal project which they say will reduce the need to use the Mahaica Creek and other outlets in case in the event of heavy rains. The conservancy holds billions of gallons of water and is only separated from the many villages by a dam.The project is more than two years behind schedule, unable to meet at least six deadlines.According to Kingston, workers digging the dam blocked the road leading to a number of homes without any notice to residents. In recent days, residents stopped the workers from continuing.Several Government officials, including Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Lionel Wordsworth, Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), have visited but there is little headway on the issues.According to angry residents of Dochfour, in addition to the blocked road, which runs parallel to the canal dam, there are also fears over their safety because of the height of the dam which is almost level to their first floor.In January, opposition Members of Parliament, Joseph Harmon and Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine were in the area to listen to the complaints but there has been no word from them.According to Kingston, there is a pattern of “non-communication” from authorities on issues.“They are proposing to build a new road but it runs through a number of house lots.”Residents say that they are willing to talk compensation but there is no one to talk to.“We are now awaiting someone.”In December, Government said that they are working on a new access road.The $3.6B,NFL Jerseys Outlet, four-component project comprises a canal, a high-level sluice outfall structure, a conservancy head regulator and a public bridge. The latter was completed and commissioned last February.Using long-boom excavators, Government had turned to its engineers for the canal but had contracted out the bridge and the sluices to a private construction firm.To justify the project, Government had argued that East Demerara area alone, in the MMA section, there is an estimated 30,000 hectares earning US$1,000 per hectare, which translates to around US$30M. If half those crops are lost when the flood waters are released on the land, that would account for US$15M in lost revenue – the cost of the project. |
