Construction of the $3.6 billion Hope Relief Canal is set to begin next month, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said on Friday. The Hope Relief Canal has been plugged as a viable option for managing water in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and avoid the need to drain water through the Maduni and Lama sluices. The third part of the project was for the supply of geotextile material for the Construction of the EDWC and the associated drainage.