THE National Drainage Task Force has concluded its public consultations on the Georgetown Drainage Improvement Project and is expected to submit its final report to President Dr. Irfaan Ali within a week.
The project aims to overhaul the capital’s aging drainage system and bolster its resilience against increasingly frequent and severe flooding.
The final meetings were held Tuesday evening with residents of Constituencies 12 and 14 at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School, and Constituency 9 at the Enterprise Primary School. These engagements marked the end of a two-week outreach effort across more than 50 communities in 15 constituencies, as well as consultations with several private-sector organisations.
According to the Task Force, public feedback was largely positive, with residents expressing appreciation for the opportunity to raise concerns and share practical, community-level recommendations.

Officials said these contributions will help shape the final strategy for what is expected to be one of the most significant drainage upgrades undertaken in Georgetown.
The consultations were led by Minister of Housing, Collin Croal; Minister within the Ministry, Vanessa Benn; and Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth.
They were supported by representatives from the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, the Sea and River Defence Department, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Croal said the Task Force is now compiling a comprehensive report, combining public input with technical assessments.
“Our goal is to present President Ali with a document that reflects both community needs and the realities of our current drainage challenges,” he noted.
Wordsworth stressed the urgency of the project, citing rapid urban expansion, increased impermeable surfaces, persistent littering, and the impacts of climate change—particularly heavier rainfall—as factors straining a decades-old system already operating beyond capacity.
The government’s plan includes rehabilitating canals and sluices, constructing new drainage infrastructure, improving maintenance practices, and installing additional pumps across the city.
Officials said the initiative forms part of a wider transformation of Georgetown that will also involve upgraded roads, improved parapets, and enhanced parking infrastructure to support a more resilient and efficiently-managed capital.
Residents who did not participate in the consultations may still submit feedback via email at nationaldrainagetaskforce.gy@gmail.com.