$11M Orealla stelling to provide greater opportunities
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, December 14, 2019
For Indigenous communities in riverine areas Guyana, structurally sound stellings are critical. This need is emphasised for areas like Orealla in Berbice that have a high influx of visitors and are located along economic hotspots.
On Saturday, Orealla became another recipient of the Government’s efforts to enhance infrastructure in such communities with the commissioning of an $11Million stelling.
In an invited comment, Toshao Carl Peneux summed up the momentous occasion for the community.
“Small and large boats can now moor and so we can get our lumber, we can get our farm produce… whatever they [the residents of Orealla] bring from the coast can be [offloaded] quite easily here,” he explained.
Toshao Peneux noted that added feature of a shed covering the stelling is an asset for the residents, particularly during heavy rainfall.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson remarked that every step of the project was done with the community in mind. “For all the work that we did, all of the material was purchased from Orealla,” he related.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure deems it necessary that contractors operating in Indigenous communities utilise local resources – human and/or materials.
In conjunction with the project, river defence works were also executed which entailed the construction of 30 metres of Gabion Mattress Slope.
Accompanying Minister Patterson was Minister of Public Security Hon. Kemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Public Telecommunications Hon. Catherine Hughes.
The Ministers held a community engagement to update residents on Government projects and to address issues and concerns.