Improved water supply for hundreds of Region Nine residents next month – Guyana Chronicle

HUNDREDS of residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) will soon enjoy an improved water supply with the establishment of new wells in the communities of Karaudarnau (Krowbar) and Sawariwau.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, visited the communities on Saturday and told residents that the new wells would be completed by January, 2023.

In Karaudarnau, a $48.6 million contract to expand the water-supply network there was awarded to A & E Construction, Supplies and Services earlier last week.

Approximately eight kilometres of pipeline will be installed from the wells to a huge, elevated tank. Solar power will be utilised to pump the water from the well.

Currently, only 50 percent of the community has access to water. With that project, however, it is estimated that more than 500 residents within the community will receive potable water.

Minister Rodrigues, according to a release from the Department of Public Information (DPI), told residents gathered at the Karaudarnau Primary School that the government remains committed to the development of its people across the country.

Some $500 million has been invested for improved water-distribution efforts in Region Nine since 2020. Region Nine has about 70 per cent access to water and the minister highlighted that the government’s aim is for every community to have 100 per cent access to water by 2025.

Meanwhile, it was noted that Hinterland Coordinator of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Ramchand Jailall, said this major undertaking forms part of the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), six of which speak to providing safe, reliable water to everyone by 2030.

Beyond this community, residents in Sawariwau will get first-time access to potable water by January 2023, as the construction of a new well nears completion.

During a meeting at Sawariwau Community Centre, the DPI reported that Minister Rodrigues opined that the government may be able to achieve its target of 100 per cent access to potable water in the region by 2025.

“We are going at a rate where we may achieve that before 2025. As we come out in communities and meet with people, we respond…and so, we make resources available to ensure that our people can live more comfortably and that their lives can improve,” she was quoted as saying.

These ongoing projects are commitments made to the villagers during a three-day regional outreach led by President, Dr Irfaan Ali in August.