Investments by PPP/C in hinterland water sector incomparable
A GINA FEATURE – September 22, 2012 - Source - GINA
Over the past many years, the PPP/C administration has been working to ensure that all Guyanese, regardless of their location, have access to basic resources provided by Government inclusive of education, health, housing and water.
The inequality in the water supply in hinterland communities was corrected by this Administration as it has successfully managed to increase access to this very vital service from a mere 25 percent to 71 percent.
A Hinterland water system
Over the past five years, huge sums were spent on the improvement of water supply in the hinterland communities. In fact, in 2011, communities in Regions One, Two, Six, Eight and Nine were equipped with boreholes, photovoltaic systems and elevated storage facilities.
To date, close to 60,000 people have benefited from Government’s interventions through the installation of photovoltaic pumping systems, new trestles and the sinking of more wells and bore holes.
Driven by it commitment to meet the United Nations’ (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) among which is halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015, as well as its commitment to ensure equitable development, Government established the Hinterland Water Strategy.
A recently constructed water trestle in Jawalla, Region Seven
This plan aims to ensure that safe water is supplied to hinterland settlements through sustainable and cost-effective means. It incorporates key actions to address the inequity of services and ensures access to safe water to 80 percent of these communities.
Last year, interventions in hinterland communities resulted in new and improved service and standard of living for more than 20,000 people. Six new boreholes were completed while two are currently being drilled. Meanwhile, the drilling of another four commenced in April.
Children of Muritaro cut the ribbon to commission their new well recently
Seventeen new photovoltaic systems were successfully installed, and the putting in place of an additional nine is ongoing. This will see a total of 29 new photovoltaic systems installed in hinterland communities.
With regards to elevated storage facilities, 24 are completed and five distribution systems were installed; while six new boreholes were completed in Port Kaituma, Arakaka and Kwebanna Region One, Siriki in Region Two and Karasabai and Tiger Pond in Region Nine.
Solar powered well in the hinterland
Additionally, 17 new photovoltaic water systems were installed in Kwebanna village and school, 4 Miles, Falls Top, Baramita and Kariako Region One; Siriki, Kaicumbay, Hackney, Marlborough in Region Two; Micobie in Region Eight, Quatata, Kaicumbay, Meriwau, Shiriri and Kwaimatta, Region Nine and Sandhill, Region Ten.
The St. Cuthbert’s Mission solar-powered well
Water distribution systems were also installed in Mahdia, Region Eight; Orealla, Region Six; Hururu, Region Ten and Kwebanna, Region One.
Moreover, an $83M contract was signed for the rehabilitation of the Kwakwani water treatment plant, a project that will eliminate the use of public stand pipes.
The use of solar driven pumps, hand pumps, wind mills and gravity feed systems are also being explored in utilising mountains that have water in their ridges and bases.
All these investments came at a great cost to the Government. From 2006 to 2011, Government spent more than $900M on the development of water services in hinterland communities, and despite all these developments, there is still much more to be done.
This year, several communities are earmarked for projects that will see the development of improved water supply systems.
These include: a pump house and installation of water networks at Santa Rosa, installation of transmission mains at Port Kaituma, supply and installation of 150 transmission and distribution mains at Santa Rosa, and rehabilitation of water supply systems as Batavia, Malali, Lot 1 Sand Creek, Mountain Foot, Paramakatoi, St. Monica, Rupunau, and Tiperu and the drilling of a water well and a bore hole at Sand Creek and Kurukubaru respectively.
Young Kaikan, Region 7 resident accessing potable water via a black tank
In Santa Monica, Region Two, a pump house will be constructed and will be complemented by the installation of distribution mains and photovoltaic systems.
It is said that a community’s access to potable water supply speaks volumes of the level of development in that community and sure enough this Administration increased access to potable water in the promotion of healthier lives and improvement in economic activities.
Access to potable water under this administration will continue to advance to greater heights as the government seeks to move from 45 percent to 75 percent access by 2015.