…several communities to receive 24hr water supply
…as House approves $1.4B for Ministry of Communities

In a direct response to the demands of citizens, the Government, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, will develop 4,000 new house lots across Guyana using $700M.

The multi-million dollar project was approved by the National Assembly when it considered a Supplementary Financial Bill totaling $7.9B, of which, the Ministry of Communities was allocated $1.4B. Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson explained that the $700M will be used to develop the house lots in areas including Mabaruma, Meter-Meer-Zorg, Vigilance, Annadale, Mon Repos, Foulis,

Hope/Experiment, Ordance, Fortland, Lethem, Kwakwani, Amelia’s Ward, Recht-Door-Zee, Prospect, and Cummings Lodge. “This allocation will specifically cater for land acquisition, surveys designs, land clearing and access,” the House was told.

Minister Ferguson detailed that in Region One, CH&PA intends to develop 275 house lots in Mabaruma while in Meter-Meer-Zorg in Region Three 1,100 house lots would be created. In Vigilance (Region 4) another 1,650 house lots would be developed.

On the East Coast of Demerara in the village of Annadale, 385 house lots would be made available to people here while in Mon Repos 220 house lots would be developed. Another 83 house lots would be made available in Foulis and 835 house lots would be developed in Hope/Experiment (Region 5). Over in Ordance, Fortland (Region 6) a total of 138 house lots would be made available.

“Lethem (Region 9), 550; Kwakwani (Region 10), 110 house lots; Amelia’s Ward (Linden, Region 10), 1,100; Recht-Door-Zee (Region 3) 275 house lots; Prospect Phase 2, 182 house lots; Providence Phase 5 (Region 4), 190 house lots; and Cummings Lodge (Region 4) we intend to develop 370 house lots,” Minister Ferguson further detailed. The Housing Minister assured the House that works would commence immediately with the approval of the necessary finances. The $700M will supplement the $780M already approved for CH&PA for 2019. There are currently 25,000 house lot applications within the CH&PA system.

Additionally, the House approved $200M to complement the $170M received under ‘Hinterland Water Supply’ by the Minister of Communities. The $200M will be used to acquire a drill rig, in addition to the expansion of water supply and distribution systems in Regions One, Eight and Nine. “This allocation will specifically improve Guyana Water Incorporated’s capacity to undertake well drilling and maintenance across the hinterland areas while new wells will be drilled at Mabaruma, Port Kaituma and Mahdia. Further, provision is made for expansion of water distribution system in Aishalton and purchase of photovoltaic systems, pipes, well masters, pumps, motors and filters, the Ministry of Communities explained.

“Mr. Chairman, GWI has recently drilled a number of wells in the Upper Takutu-Essequibo Region, these being Lethem, Annai, Aishalton, Karasabai, St. Ignatius, Hiowa, and Kaikumbay, nonetheless, as a result of surveys that were done earlier this year, and with the prolong dry spell that is being experienced in parts of the country, it is recognised that new wells are urgently required,” Minister Bulkan told the House.
Another $214M was approved by the House to upgrade Bartica Water Treatment Plan through the installation of filters and clarifiers which will provide for the new and expanding housing demands in 4 and 5 Miles. That money will also be used to drill a new well at Uitvlugt.

New well in Linden
The Ministry of Communities has also received $80M to drill a new well at Amelia’s Ward to improve water supply from 8-12 hours presently to 24 hours daily. “This project is critical since interventions to resuscitate wells connected to the water treatment plant have yielded no significant improvements in water supply. This project supports the expansion of housing areas in Amelia’s Ward (Phase 3 and South Amelia’s Ward,” the Ministry explained.

The House also cleared $200M for the Urban Sewage and Water Programme. It was explained that the monies will be used to drill a well at Central Ruimveldt and replace trunk mains along Church Street. It will also be used to install new mains in Albouystown.

“The Central Ruimveldt Water Treatment Plan does not have the capacity to serve the communities of West Ruimveldt, Alexander Village, South Ruimveldt and surrounding areas on a 24 hour supply, (as such) this well will provide that capacity,” the Communities Ministry noted.

It was also explained that the transmission and distribution main project in Albouystown will complement an ongoing project which started on a section of the village to remove old asbestos mains.
In the area of Solid Waste Disposal Management, $100M was approved for the rehabilitation of the access roads and bridge at Belle Vue and Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill sites.