Hundreds of millions to be invested in new wells for Region One

The sum of $200 million will be expended under the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Hinterland Water Supply programme, to drill five new wells in communities within the Moruca sub-district, Region One.

This announcement was made by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, M.P during an outreach to Warapoka on Sunday. He was accompanied by Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley and Regional Vice Chairperson, Anansha Peters.

Minister Croal said a rig owned by GWI will be in the region by April this year, to commence drilling of a number of wells.

This initiative, he noted, will see thousands of residents having access to improved water distribution services. It will also bring government closer to achieving its target of 100 percent water coverage in the hinterland regions by 2025.

In the case of Warapoka, Minister Croal committed to ensuring a water system is included in next year’s budget for that community. The tourism village currently source water from the creek and practices rainwater harvesting.

“Warapoka, I have noted your concerns with the water and I can assure it will be on our 2023 work programme. I will not make promises that I can’t deliver, so it will be a priority on next year’s programme,” Minister Croal told the gathering.

On the issue of housing, the minister announced that Warapoka will be one of the first Barima Waini villages to benefit from the government’s hinterland housing programme expected to commence this year.

Minister Croal said the programme caters for the construction of homes and upgrades to existing structures. He added that the programme differs from the housing initiative on the coast, where beneficiaries are paying for the homes and house lots allocated to them.

“This programme is fully funded by the government and those that are most in need will benefit… a team will return to have consultations with the village council,” Minister Croal told the gathering.

The hinterland housing project will utilise a model similar to the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB)-funded Sustainable Housing for the Hinterland programme, started under the PPP/C Government before 2015.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Ashley outlined major infrastructural developments for the region. He said of the $4.4 billion allocated to the region, $2.2 billion will go towards education delivery and approximately $1billion to health care.