…3,000 residents to benefit from enhanced potable water supply
CONTRACTS totaling $83.3M were signed yesterday in Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), to facilitate the ‘Kwakwani Rehabilitation Project’, which is expected to improve the quality of water delivered to the 3,000 residents living there. This venture will be carried out in three phases and the contracts were awarded to Ash Civil Engineering Works to implement works which include the rehabilitation of the current Kwakwani water treatment plant, the installation of 2km of PVC distribution mains and the installation of over 1,500 household service connections to eliminate the use of public stand pipes.
According to the Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, this Government of Guyana initiative will ensure that the residents of the area are not exempted from the current expansion of the water sector.
“The access to potable water should have no boundaries; so for every resident we are investing $24,000 on your behalf for the improvement of the water sector,” he declared.
In addition to the construction of the new water supply infrastructure, the project will also bring socio-economic benefits to the community members, he added.
He said, “As a government, we believe in social development; everyone must have access to opportunities such as health care, education, housing, and water, which are all important indicators of development.”
Ali emphasized that all of the investments made in the people across the country are geared towards transforming lives and creating opportunities.
On this note, he stressed that no investment made can be viable unless it is sustainable, and advocated that beneficiaries use the resource in a conservative manner, as this will make the investment worthwhile.
He charged the community members to change their attitudes and behaviours in order to protect the investment.
“The facility will be there, we need to work together to ensure that costs can be controlled, this will ensure that the operation becomes sustainable,” Ali said.
He reminded that over the last five years, the Government of Guyana has invested $700M in the water sector in Region 10, and within the next five years, a further $3B will be injected in the sector there.
Two weeks ago, GWI signed a US$12.3M contract in Region 10 for the implementation of the Linden Water Supply Rehabilitation Programme, intended to benefit close to 30,000 persons.
Speaking of the overall aim of these initiatives, Ali stated, “We need to increase the access to treated water and today’s event signals the Government’s commitment to ensuring that all Guyanese have equal access to important services.”
He also announced that this service would be delivered to Kwakwani residents without the installation of water meters, an additional benefit provided by the government.
Region 10 Vice Chairman, Samuel Hooper, expressed his gratitude to the GWI and Minister Ali on behalf of the Regional Democratic Council, for the initiative which will improve the lives of the people of the region.
Those assembled to witness the signing ceremony voiced their satisfaction at the benefits the improvement in the water quality and supply would bring.
They also implored the minister to ensure that the contractor utilises the skills and abilities of the residents to implement the project, thereby creating jobs in the area.