Arica
Shrike200,
The eco debate raged for years before the project was started and even during the initial excavation we were visited by the Cousteau's and their Catalina as they had 'concerns'. The project also featured on BBC Horizon and in 'Geo' - the French version of National Geographic. There is talk of re-starting the canal but from what I've seen and heard of the machine the costs of getting her working again make that a very remote chance and that's before you even address the safety of the workforce.
Plus, that machine was designed for the canals it dug in Pakistan and not the soil in Sudan. There were huge technical issues with the buckets which were continually being modified as the soil had a high clay content and used to stick to the buckets.
I would appreciate a PM with just a few of your pics if you get a moment. My Dad spent 7 years responsible for that machine in Pakistan and a tough 4 years in Sudan.
Best wishes,
m
p.s. is there any way of finding out the fate of the 402 ? Her Sudanese reg was ST-AGU.
Last edited by Eagle402; 2nd Jul 2011 at 18:31.