On hinterland visit…
RESIDENTS of White Water in Region One (Barima/Waini) will benefit from Government interventions costing $7M to ensure they get a better potable supply. Minister of Housing and Water, Mr. Irfaan Ali made the announcement yesterday, in White Water Multi-Purpose Hall before ending a four-day visit to hinterland communities in that Region.
He was there as part of a team due to Government’s commitment and concern over the current water situation.
Ali said President Bharrat Jagdeo, himself, requested that an assessment of the heaviest affected areas be done and Region One is regarded as one of those where the effects of El Nino has been intense and resulted in tremendous hardship to the people.
“Of course, we will all understand that we have no control over the present climatic condition that is a result of actions and inactions of countries around the world. Global warming is going to continue to challenge us in various forms and ways more consistently than we have been challenged in history,” he warned.
Ali underscored the importance of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and reminded his audience of this country’s position on its development.
“This strategy is not one that is designed only to save the planet. It is one that is designed in a developmental context. It takes into consideration the needs of our country, the requirements of our people and it tries to broaden our economic base, by utilising our natural resource of forest to generate revenue, so we can take this revenue and utilise it for the improvement of the lives and living conditions of our people,” he explained.
“That is very important for us as a Government. So, today, we stand committed to you the people, in ensuring that we provide you equal opportunity and equal access to resources like in any other part of the country,” Ali said.
Continuing, he said: “The LCDS is not about now. It is beyond now. It is about the future and it is visionary. We will be getting the same revenue you will get if you cut down the forest but, at the same, we will be protecting the forest. We will be safeguarding the forest, so that future generations can enjoy the fruits of the forests.”
Ali said the strategy is going to make persons more responsible in the way they utilise resources from the forest and protect Guyana and the world, at the same time, bring large sums of revenue to benefit the people.
“I am happy that I had this opportunity, too, today, to recapture the essence of the LCDS very briefly so that our people would stay engaged and don’t succumb to a few persons who want to destroy a good idea for selfish reasons,” he asserted.
Ali said: “The time has come, in Guyana, where we have to think beyond ourselves We now have to think about the future and our community and move forward together as one people, so that our country can grow and we can realise the true and full potential that we have in this country.”
More difficult
He noted that, whilst it is more difficult to provide the service with such geographical conditions and terrain, the Administration is still committed to doing so.
Against this backdrop, Ali disclosed that, in the last four years, Government has spent more than $94M on the water sector in Region One.
He said some 60 wells were dug and the Mabaruma distribution system was upgraded.
“But yet we are still faced with the difficulty that El Nino poses. We still have situations where many of our people, here in White Water is no exception, still depend heavily on the ponds and creeks for water, which is very challenging now for a number of reasons,” Ali acknowledged.
He said the water level would have dropped tremendously and some of the sources have been salted and polluted and people have to continuously endure the hardship of fetching from the creek.
“These are things that bother the Government and these are things that we are very, very concerned about. But, to resolve all these issues, we have to get financial resources because remember, in the hinterland communities, all the services are fully subsidised,” Ali pointed out.
He, however, made it clear that Government has no intention of charging for the services, reiterating: “This Government believes strongly in social justice, social equity and social development. That is what we believe strongly in. We believe, strongly, in having basic fundamental services like health and water supplied to our people, regardless of the cost.”
Ali informed that an initial assessment was done for the community and resulted in the building of a trestle, sinking of a well and acquisition of a solar system, which will be installed in two weeks to supply approximately 2,500 gallons of water to fill tanks.
He said it is an intervention that cost approximately $7M but the problem is the design to have standpipes in a water distribution network for the community to access from the trestle.
“We don’t have that in the design right now. However, after assessing the situation on the ground and seeing that we have the school, the health centre and multi-purpose building here, what we plan to do is spend an additional $700,000 to $800,000, that we did not have, to bring a pipeline down to the school so that we can fill the tanks at the school and we can put the standpipe along the distance so that you won’t have to walk to the trestle for the standpipe. You would have it along the roadway,” Ali related.
White Water, one of the areas severely affected, has about 1,600 people but the undertaking outlined would benefit around 700 persons.
The solar system is one of the units received through the Japanese collaboration and residents are presently acquiring water from small ponds and creeks, pending the installation that would be a tremendous improvement.
Ali said, after assessing the situation, it was decided to make those addition to the project scope, with some sort of collaboration from the residents and the Region.
He said the Region has already agreed to have its backhoe sent within a week, to help in the ditching to put down the pipeline and some residents can assist in laying it to ensure that the execution is completed in the stipulated two weeks, yielding benefit to the people and helping them to cope with the El Nino situation.
Good step
“It is a good step forward from where we are right now. So we look forward to working with you on this project,” Ali anticipated.
Talking about a low income housing programme, he said his ministry has a proposal for hinterland communities and has been discussing it with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and Region One is among areas targeted for tremendous investment.
Ali said Government is looking to spend $100M in Region One on core homes and some communities that have been identified are Port Kaituma, Mabaruma, Wauna Hill, Tobago, White Water and Manawarin.
He sai
d, under the housing programme, $300M will be spent in hinterland communities.
“And it is the first time that we are trying to develop community-oriented planning in hinterland communities,” Ali admitted, pointing out that it makes it easier and cheaper to supply services.
He said the core homes are basically starter homes for small families to make a start and his ministry wants to make sure that, as much local labour and materials are used.
“We are hoping that this programme can be launched before August. What we have now is the completion of the design. We have three or four design options that have been submitted to the Inter-American Development Bank and, as soon as we have the no objection on those design options, we are going to go to tender and have this process move forward,” Ali pledged.
He said this is exciting for the communities.
“This is, of course, part of Government’s wider commitment to ensuring equal access to resources, in ensuring that the living standards and living conditions of our people are uplifted,” said Ali.
He said: “It is giving people an opportunity to start, to commence, to uplift and to move forward and that is why you have elected us as a Government to serve you”.
Ali said that it is only a pilot and Government is going to work towards expanding the programme.
“And that is why every avenue where we can source additional revenue for this country must be explored. Guyana is at a very special level now, in terms of international discussion. We have a President who is recognised internationally. The LCDS opens up the door to bring tremendous development financing to our country so that we can accelerate things,” he maintained.
“What could have been done in five and ten years with these new and emerging sectors, we are now looking at completing within two years,” Ali said, mentioning the hydropower and fibre optic cable projects.
Development drive
He said those are investments the Government is making everyday to ensure that all people benefit from the development drive.
“We want to assure you that we are with you and we are committed to the process of advancing your lives and living conditions in an equitable manner,” Ali said.
He urged the residents to care the facilities and be responsible in their usage.
“We want to assure you that, through this very difficult El Nino situation, we are with you and we will try as hard as possible to bring relief to the community.”
Toshao Ernest Samuels, thanking the Minister for the visit and expressing his appreciation for what has been promised, said the White Water community is very large and divided into small villages which include Black Water, Auracura, Seakumaka, Bamboo Landing, Semoropa, Kurrsima and residents in the western area village are, similarly, facing the water situation with creeks and ponds drying up.
He said, in some areas, hand pumps were installed but are not functioning right now and asked if the machines can be rehabilitated to relieve those areas, as well.
Ali responded that it was decided to send a small rig into the area, within six weeks, to drill and install hand pumps in villages that do not have, in addition to repairing those already in service.
Residents also voiced some concerns about the health centre, which needs an additional worker and a fence for the primary school.
Issues with loggers wee also raised with the minister and team which included, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Water, Mr. Emile Mc Garrell; Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Hinterland Manager, Mr. Akram Hussain and Region One Chairman, Mr. Fermin Singh.