$600M expended on improving hinterland water supply
GOVERNMENT has expended some $600M towards the improvement of water supply in the hinterland, over the past five years, Minister with the portfolio, Mr. Irfaan Ali disclosed last week. He made the disclosure during the commissioning of the Parfait Harmonie Well Station, at West Bank Demerara in Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara).
In his speech, he said: “Access to potable water is important for health and well-being economic development. We will extend our programme to deliver safe potable water to all homes with special attention to remote and isolated communities.”
The Minister of Housing and Water said, in the intensified drive to give everyone access to quality water, including those residing in hinterland areas, the percentage of beneficiaries has increased from 71 percent to in excess of 98 percent countrywide and that has resulted in the promotion of healthier lives and improvement in economic activities.
“The population with access to treated water has progressively increased from 26 to 45 percent in 2010,” Ali reported.
He said at least 55,000 people have benefited from Government of Guyana interventions and those who are getting potable water have increased from 25 percent to 67 percent over the past five years, including through the installation of 25 photovoltaic pumping systems, new trestles and the sinking of 52 more wells.
In addition to this, distribution networks were upgraded and extended, Ali said, identifying, among the beneficiary communities, Matthews Ridge, Sebai, Kamwatta, Waramuri, Santa Rosa and White Water in Region (One/Barima Waini); Mainstay in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam); Lanaballi in Region Three and St. Cuthbert’s in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica).
He said there were others in Regions Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice).
Ali said, in order to cope with the greater capacity, a new billing system, known as ‘Hi Affinity’ has been, successfully, implemented, with significant improvements in the quality of bills issued to customers.
“There has also been a significant reduction in estimated billing and correction of errors in the database, which has resulted in improved collections efficiency,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, there continues to be close coordination of the monitoring of water quality, by the Ministries of Health and Housing and Water, in relation to related diseases.
Towards that objective, the Ministry of Health distributes medication and chemicals used to purify water for drinking in remote areas.
In addition, the Health Ministry is, presently, undertaking a programme to monitor sanitation to avoid diseases and to disburse medication for their control, Ali said.