A NUMBER of “well developments” are being undertaken in an effort to improve access to water and relieve thousands of people in various communities, Minister of Housing and Water Mr. Irfaan Ali disclosed last Friday.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, he gave an update on works being done and others to be executed before year end.

Ali said work is ongoing to establish the $56M Diamond/Grove well, East Bank Demerara and that is expected to be complete by September 10.

Then the contractor, Trinidadian based Water and Oil Wells Services, supervised by CEMCO of Guyana, will move to drill the Lusignan well on East Coast Demerara.

Drilling at Diamond/Grove, to benefit 8,000 users, began on August 20 and has passed the 600 feet depth, in keeping with the assurance given the beneficiary community, Ali said.

He said it is hoped that, by mid-September, the Lusignan well, to cost $51M, will be 800 feet deep.

Ali said, upon completion of the Diamond/Grove job, the contractor will mobilise immediately to start at Lusignan, in the hope of finishing by November moth end to facilitate another 8,000 consumers.

According to him, the tender for Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, is to be advertised within a week, designed to serve up to 5,000 beneficiaries.

“This is as a result of consolidating our infrastructure investment where we have large housing schemes. The aim is to improve our capacity in these areas,” Ali explained.

He said a project for Parfaite/Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, for service to 8,000 people, is on steam and the $50M contract has already been awarded to the same Trinidadian company, which will commence the work November month end.

Minister Ali said a $40M award, for Charity, went to Gold Field Inc. and, within two weeks, mobilisation for the execution to offer relief to 4,000 people, would get underway.

INVITED
Additionally, in about two weeks the tender for Lima, also on Essequibo Coast, will be invited and the design is to serve about 15,000 people in three months.

The awards for Onderneeming, De Hoop and Bel Vue, have gone to Sagna Petroleum, with $150M funding through Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF).

Ali said work has started at Onderneeming, also in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and De Hoop in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and should finish in two months, to benefit 10,000 persons.

The Bel Vue job in Region Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands), to be done in two months is to serve some 6,000 users.

Cummings Lodge and Enmore, in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Tuschen, in Region Three, as well and Manchester, in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) are to get wells with funds from BNTF but are presently under review for design by the consultants.

Ali said the Cummings Lodge well will also deliver to Sophia residents and increase pressure for delivery to about 8,000 consumers.

He said the Manchester area has been experiencing low pressure and flow, resulting in the investment for around 3,500 persons.

“The issue in Enmore is pressure, again, as a result of new housing and commercial development in that area and the capacity of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) will be improved to benefit approximately 8,000 persons,” Ali said.

The new housing development in the Tuschen area is expected to be further enlarged under the ‘Low Income Two’ programme with an additional 2,000 house lots and the well there will be critical to approximately 12,000 persons, he said.