Edghill to approach Cabinet for new barge for Kwakwani

Technical teams from the Public Works Ministry, Demerara Harbour Bridge, and Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) are being mobilised to spearhead repairs on the Kwakwani barge service.
This is part of efforts to ensure the smooth functioning of the barge service, which is crucial to the community’s mining and logging sector.
Technical officers have since concluded that the barge had outlived its usefulness.
However, an inspection conducted by the General Manager of the DHB, Wayne Watson on Wednesday, revealed that many of the barge’s structures, specifically the deck, are weak and has massive holes contributing to leaks.
As such, it will undergo critical repairs over the weekend and is expected to be back in operation on Monday.

To facilitate this, the barge will be isolated to allow for a parallel bulkhead to be welded onto it while pumps will be installed to control the intake of water. Watson explained that work will be done in phases.
“The existing front-end used to be the back-end, so the initial front-end was damaged and they switched to the back-end. So, the same effect that the front-end would have been subjected to the current front-end is experiencing that same problem. So, what we are going to do is isolate that area so that the water will not go to other sections and thereafter, we are going to try to resuscitate the pontoon in intervals because to do the current pontoon with all the work will require it to be down for a long time,” Watson disclosed.
Further, the Transport and Harbours Department will deploy a new vessel, the MV Baramani, to provide relief to those traversing the Berbice River Crossing. This vessel is expected to arrive in Kwakwani in about one week.
However, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill told the residents that the government is also considering the procurement of a new barge.
On this point, he explained that multifaceted measures will ensure that the main commercial activities in Kwakwani are not affected in any way.
“After the Baramani is here… it is a call that the Cabinet will make when I discuss with them the details on whether we’re leaving that or buying another barge because obviously this one has outlived its life and you’ve been trying your best with it,” Edghill said.
Edghill also pledged that the government will continue to work with the NDC to prevent disruptions to the community’s livelihoods, which he underscored are critical to Kwakwani’s economy and development.
“I can tell you right now as a representative of the Cabinet that the government will not leave the people of Kwakwani stranded because of this barge. So, we are going to work with you to make sure that we get that sorted out,” he added.