At his weekly news conference yesterday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon said the ND&IB was reporting weekly to Cabinet on how work on the dam was progressing.

"The ND&IB is supervising the remedial work and based on their concerns and concerns expressed by the communities and also the Commissioners (water) weekly reports are now being provided to the Cabinet sub-committee", he said.

These remedial works are expected to be completed before the onset of the anticipated rains, Luncheon reported.

He also noted that the major water users, among them the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO), have indicated their willingness to cooperate and contribute to the remedial work on the dam.

"The major water users in the area of the conservancy have indicated their interest and support for the urgent rehabilitation of segments of the dam, and efforts are being made to pursue their offers into finality," he said.

Emergency remedial work has started on the East Demerara Conservancy Dam where several areas of slippages have been identified by technical personnel from the ND&IB and from reconnaissance by military personnel.

A total of about 660 metres (about 2,000 feet) of the dam along several segments between Cane Grove and Annandale have slippages.

Two contractors have begun repairs from opposite ends of the dam and every effort is being made to complete the work before the advent of the anticipated rains.

At a previous press briefing Luncheon had said: "The state of the Conservancy Dam continues to attract the attention of the Government; allied with that are the concerns about the low water levels of the water in the conservancy and more recently the action of the main water users."

He added that personnel from ND&IB have indicated that the work on the dam can be concluded before the arrival of the rainy season, but have taken additional steps to recruit contractors to ensure greater safety of the communities that are more susceptible should there be an occurrence of possible breaches.

Luncheon had also earlier said that because of the extremely low water levels, Cabinet was contemplating enforcing the Drought Act against large water users in a bid to conserve water, noting that the conservancy supplies a substantial amount of potable water, apart from that supplied by artesian well water.

The Drought Act empowers the Guyana Water Incorporated to enforce restricted access to the water in the conservancy when the level is low.