Contractor clears silt then dumps it back in canal!

WITNESSED a practice yesterday from contractors on the Shroppie, writes Anne Husar.

Boats are often grounded on this canal already, so this practice will be really helpful!

Dumping straight back in canal!

Contractors' work boat yesterday on the Shroppie digging out the sludge from bridge 'ols. Goody, we thought until we realised that they were then dumping it straight back into the canal just after the bridge!

They apparently aren't allowed to put it anywhere else and certainly not in the empty dumb barge they were pushing along, all so that CaRT can put divers down to 'check' what are patently already rotten and disintegrating stop gates.

Value for money maintenance?

And this is value for money maintenance? A lengthsman could sum it up in a few seconds by eye alone but those were the days.

Then there's the possible damage to the canal bed by the workboat's practice of sinking the digger arm with bucket on to it, pushing along the canal bottom to 'steer' with when reversing long lengths of canal, depending which way they were veering!