As the Government of Guyana continues investing in sea and river defences to protect vulnerable communities, the $168 million sea defence project at Cullen has now passed the 50 per cent completion mark.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Madanlall Ramraj, made this disclosure on Friday during a visit to the project site, where an additional 200 metres of rip-rap protection is currently being constructed.
“Sea defence isn’t just about preventing water,” Minister Ramraj said. “It is about protecting people and bringing immediate relief to their worries. This government is acting before disaster strikes, not after.”
Minister Ramraj said the intervention at Cullen reflects the government’s broader commitment to safeguarding coastal communities through timely and strategic investment, noting that sea defence remains a critical pillar of the administration’s infrastructure and climate resilience agenda.
Minister Ramraj was accompanied by Regional Chairman, Devin Mohan; Chief Sea and River Defense Officer, Kevin Samad, along with other officials and Regional Engineers from the Ministry of Public Works.
Chief Sea and River Defence Officer Kevin Samad explained that the foreshore at Cullen has been under close observation for several years, as natural barriers gradually gave way to erosion.
“We’re here at Cullen, Essequibo, where for the last five years we have been keenly monitoring this foreshore,” Samad said. “Historically, this area was protected by a natural sea defence, a sand dune mixed with vegetation, but erosion started and we were progressively losing the beach over the past five to six years.”
To counter the threat, the Ministry implemented a phased programme of man-made rip-rap protection. Over the past five years, approximately 750 metres of sea defence has already been completed. The current phase adds another 200 metres, bringing the total to nearly one kilometre of reinforced coastal protection.
Samad assured residents that while erosion is occurring gradually, there is no immediate danger.
“There is no imminent threat here. We are confident that there will be no breach or flooding scenario. We are being proactive and carrying out the work in a progressive manner,” he said.
The project, being executed by a local contractor, is now just over the 50 per cent mark, despite the challenges of the rainy season, and is expected to be completed by mid-February. The Ministry also plans to continue extending protection towards Perseverance over the next two to three years.
Regional Chairman Devin Mohan hailed the project as further evidence of tangible development under the PPP/C Administration.
“Under this government we have seen massive infrastructure development, and this sea defence is a testament to that,” Mohan said. “This work will protect the dam, safeguard residents from flooding, and bring real transformation to this community. As Regional Chairman, I am extremely elated at the intervention by Minister Ramraj and the Ministry of Public Works.”
The Cullen sea defence project forms part of the government’s wider strategy to strengthen Guyana’s coastal defences, safeguard vulnerable communities, and build climate-resilient infrastructure for the future.
