The Minister of Works and Transport has declared that in February 2011, a mere five months away, he is looking forward to "turning the sod" to commence the excavation of a tunnel to Maracas Bay, the construction of which was mentioned in the 2011 budget. As reported in the last Sunday Guardian, he emphasised that "time is of the essence" and revealed that the National Infrastructure Development Company "has been conducting various studies to ensure best international practices for the project."
From the utterances of the minister, one can only conclude that the decision to build the tunnel has already been made. But excavation of such colossal magnitude requires a Certificate of Environmental Clearance based on a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project. Furthermore, no one even knows the details of the terms of reference for the EIA. Yet the minister has publicly announced the date for the likely commencement of construction, as well as the length of time for completion, within three years.
In his mind, the tunnel is a fait accompli, although an overwhelming number of citizens consider the idea utterly preposterous, even insane. Instead of the tunnel, I suggest the construction of a cable car from Maracas Valley to the Maracas/Las Cuevas ridge from where the two bays can be reached. I can assure you that the cable car will become the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Ishmael Samad
Via e-mail