Georgetown – The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has debunked yet another article by the Kaieteur News with regards to Government’s expenditures.
In its March 4 edition, the Kaieteur News showed a picture of an old wooden sluice, describing it is as another NDIA scandal- $11.7M rehab of new 4ft wide sluice door and clearing of outfall. In a statement issue by the NDIA, the association pointed out that while the newspaper seeks to discredit the administration’s credibility with its journalism ethics, it will not succeed.
The NDIA stated that the newspaper highlighted the Caledonia sluice and not Coverden.
Among the work slated to be done by Government on the Coverden sluice would include;-
- installation of new door
- clearing and grubbing of the embankment along one dam of Bulai, Ferguson, Clarke, Thomas, and Sucker canals
- cleaning and disposal of material with excavation of Bulai, Ferguson, Clarke, Thomas and Sucker canals totalling 58,000 cubic yards to design specifications and placing material on the cleared dam to form a new embankment.
The article also stated that 600 feet of canal and bush would also required clearing, however, the statement said that 1,730 rods of canals (equivalent to 3.9 miles ) at Bulai, Ferguson, Clark, Thomas and Sucker canals, are required to be cleared and not as the article states.
“There is a misconception being peddled in the article as if the $11.7M only represents the rehabilitation of the door and outfall channel clearing when the breakdown is as followed;- Preliminaries $550,000, clearing, excavation and new embankment $10,850,000 and rehabilitation of door $350,000 totalling $11,750,000,” the release stated.
The NDIA also stated that in the future only constructive criticisms will be dealt with whenever they are presented, as efforts remain on the execution of Government’s programmes and policies to enhance the country’s drainage systems.
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