SOME 30 Community Support Officers (CSOs) from 16 villages within the Moruca sub-district of Region One (Barima-Waini) are participating in a two-day water system management training programme designed to operate and maintain systems in their respective communities.

Training is being facilitated by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), and will see the CSOs being engaged in activities covering water purification processes, water sampling, and basic sanitation and hygiene, among other areas.

During the official launch of the programme in Santa Rosa on Monday, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal stressed the importance of ensuring the proper management of water systems, as the government continues to invest billions of dollars to ensure hinterland communities have 100 per cent water coverage.

“We are investing in the hinterland in the delivery of potable water; we have already assessed what needs to be done in order to achieve the objective of 100 per cent access to water in the hinterland, and the CSOs play an important role in this development,” Minister Croal said.

There are over 70 communities spread across the three Region One districts, namely: Moruca, Matarkai, and Mabaruma, and according to Minister Croal, only 55 per cent of the entire area has access to potable water.
With a number of wells scheduled to be drilled this year in the Barima-Waini Region, the minister said that the percentage of potable water access will move to over 70 per cent.

Over the next eight months, several wells are expected to be drilled in the communities of Waramuri, Himacraba, Hobodiah, Kaburi, Manawarin, Kwebanna and Santa Rosa. The PAT well-drilling rig has arrived in the sub-region to commence the drilling of these wells.

Minister Croal said the projects are in keeping with the government’s commitment to provide water and sanitation for all, in keeping with the UN-led Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.

This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Housing & Water and Amerindian Affairs, with GWI being the agency responsible for its execution. UNICEF and the UNDP are also contributing significantly towards funding for the capacity-building exercises.

Earlier this month, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministries of Housing and Water and Amerindian Affairs for the training of Community Service Officers (CSOs) in the operation and maintenance of water supply systems in hinterland communities. (DPI)