| – Additional funds may be required for rehabLionel WordsworthEvident defects and deterioration on the controversial De Willem Sluice have been a cause for concern to many residents within the Meten-Meer-Zorg/De Willem area on the West Coast of Demerara.However, Lionel Wordsworth, Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has informed this newspaper that additional works are slated to be carried out imminently.The works, he said, are slated to be completely addressed before the end of this week.This newspaper brought the defects to the attention of Wordsworth who, after consulting with the Project Consultant SRKN’gineering, admitted that there were some sections of the sluice that required further works before it could become operational. The sluice, according to Wordsworth, was constructed by Roopan Ramotar Investment during the period September 5, 2008 through October 14, 2009, at a cost of $153,106,250.The sluice, he said, has not been commissioned as yet, since there have been inadequate water levels in the drainage canal to permit flow through the sluice.These existing low water levels, Wordsworth added, are due to the extended dry season the drainage catchment has been experiencing.“However when the water rises in the drainage canal to a level to necessitate drainage of the canal, the sluice will be operational,” Wordsworth explained.In acknowledging some of the defects, he said that, “there are existing joints on the concrete revetment on the outfall of the sluice which require sealing.The contractor is scheduled to seal these joints (this week)…At this scheduled time, the concrete would have been fully cured, which is a required condition for the application of the joint sealant,” Wordsworth added.However, the CEO has failed to accept that a section of the sluice called the winch has begun to noticeably deteriorate.According to Wordsworth, “I cannot comment on that until I send my engineer to check it out.” This was despite receiving a photograph of the deteriorating winch from this newspaper.“I heard that this is not the truth but I will have to look into this.” Wordsworth has also refused to comment on whether the state of the winch in the photograph would require that it be replaced.He has however, promised to give this newspaper a feedback when an inspection of the winch is completed.The controversial De Willem Sluice was brought into the spotlight when this newspaper reported that it was constructed at the wrong location and therefore required an additional $7M for revetment works.An engineer who requested anonymity had told this publication that the consultant and the contractor were both instructed to construct the sluice in line with the canal, so that the water can ‘run’ straight.However, according to the engineer, this was not done as the sluice has been constructed approximately 20ft away from the designated location.This publication understands that during the excavation of the canal, the workers came across an old punt in the designated location for the sluice, and due to this, the consultant and the contractor took the decision to shift the location without consulting or seeking the permission of the NDIA.The engineer had explained that neither the consultant nor the contractor has anything on record to show that the NDIA had approved for the sluice to be shifted. |
