After being more than a year behind schedule, the Guyana Government is finally preparing to impose the penalty clause on contractors, should the Hope/Dochfour Canal not be completed by next month.This is according to Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who noted yesterday that his Ministry has been quite patient with the three contracted companies, especially as it relates to accommodating extensions of proposed deadlines.The construction of the $3B Hope/Dochfour Northern Relief Channel was aWorks ongoing on the Head Regulator in Julyventure undertaken by the former Minister of Agriculture, 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 deadline was subsequently extended to August 31, and later to December-January 2013.“The government will not accept another extension,” Dr. Ramsammy stressed.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,Buy Air Max 1, the three-gated Head Regulator- the component assigned to BK International,jerseys nfl wholesale, is near completion.The excavation of the 10.3km long earthen channel,China NFL Jerseys, 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.“It has been anticipated that the canal would be completed last, since this is dependent on the completion of the other structures,” Dr. Ramsammy said.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, releasing it into the Atlantic Ocean, via an eight-gated high level outfall, the component which is being constructed by Courtney Benn Contracting Services.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.Minister Ramsammy pointed out that while he would not entertain an extension of the project’s deadline, the works being carried out so far are impressive.“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,Cheap NHL Jerseys, rather than the major investment in the Hope Canal.“I think that when it’s completed,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, the Hope Canal will serve its purpose. I think the work that these engineers were able to complete,Wholesale NFL Jerseys Online, 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. (Rehana Ashley Ahamad)