Bartica ‘green’ park to be opened in June
GUYANA, GINA, Wednesday, May 31, 2017
In November 2016 the Bartica town council had taken the initiative to develop the West Indian Housing Scheme Park with funding from the government.
The West Indian Housing Scheme Park to be opened in June
The Town Council’s initiative which is in keeping with President David Granger’s vision of creating a green Region Seven town was scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2016.
Bartica Mayor, Gifford Marshall told the Government Information Agency (GINA), that completion of the park was delayed due to torrential rainfall. However, construction continues and the park is expected to be completed in June.
“Construction of this park started under a year ago, it’s almost completed. There’s one aspect of the construction that is left and that is the fountain. The fountain will be completed within a few weeks’ time, and we will have the grand opening in the month of June,” Marshall explained.
The park is being created at a cost of $31M and will embrace the “Green Bartica” initiative. Mayor Marshall said the park is powered by solar energy, with solar lights and solar panels in place. The once swampy area where the park is located will become a very attractive centre piece.
Additionally, a section of the West Indian Housing Scheme access road was resurfaced while another was constructed. Marshall noted that
A section of the newly rehabilitated West Indian Housing Scheme access road
this new road will be useful for accessing previously impassable sections of Bartica.
“It (the road) was in a deplorable state, the worst part of it was that whenever the heavy rains come the road would be flooded and persons would be unable to access their homes…so we are very happy that the road is completed. There’s a new road at the back and it would create new access to those areas at the back too,” Marshall highlighted.
Bartica continues to progress towards becoming a ‘clean and green’ model town. Just recently the town announced that it would be able to access a US$650,000, grant through the Office of Climate Change from Ministry of the Presidency to boost the green initiative.
Guyana has embarked on a long-term initiative towards “greening” its economy as advocated by President Granger.
Several main pillars of Bartica being a green economy include: sustainable harvesting of natural capital, integrated planning and data management, environmental security, disaster risk reduction, financial mobilisation and technology science and innovation.
By: Ranetta La Fleur