Wallers Delight, Ruimzeight sea-defence works moving apace
DPI, GUYANA, Friday, January 12, 2018
Residents of Wallers Delight and Ruimzeight will soon be free from saltwater intrusion as the sea and river defence works in the communities are moving apace. The project which commenced in November 2017 is currently in its final two phases, Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Project Coordinator Dennis Ramsingh told the Department of Public Information (DPI.)
“Phases four and five are Wallers Delight and Ruimzeight and the contractor is currently closing the gap between the two communities. Phase four consists of 300 meters of rip rap sea defences and phase five consists of 260 meters of rip rap sea defences,” Ramsingh explained.
The Project Coordinator further explained the decision to construct the rip-rap sea defence in the locations.
“We have rapid degradation of the mangrove forests here for the past 25 years or so, we had a large mangrove forest and within the last three years, we had experienced erosion, uprooting and loss of mangrove vegetation. So, the government took the initiative to construct rip rap sea defences to address the erosion problem.”
Phases one to three, which extend from Harlem to Wallers Delight were mostly completed in 2016. A section of phase three is currently being finalised by Toolsie Persaud Limited, while phases four and five are being executed by BK international, Ramsingh noted.
These ongoing works are being executed at a cost of approximately $190M, and are slated for completion by June of this year.
$2.4 billion has been allocated in the 2018 National Budget for the rehabilitation of sea defences countrywide. Other works slated for this year include the construction and rehabilitation of sea defences at DeWillem, Grove/Look Out, Pomeroon, Cottage (Mahaicony), and Uitvlugt.
By: Ranetta La Fleur
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