-Minister Croal affirms
WATER is one of the most sought-after resources in the world, especially considering the current drought, which has validated the 2015 classification of water as an essential resource.
In a brief but impactful ceremony to honour World Water Day on Friday morning in front of the Guyana Water Incorporated’s (GWI) Head Office on Vlissingen Road, the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, spoke to a gathering of GWI officials, staff, the public, teachers, and students about the importance of conservation, the vital role that water plays in everyone’s life, and the need to raise awareness among Guyana’s citizens and, by extension, the global community.
The housing minister reminded them of how lucky “we” are in Guyana to have access to water while also explaining that the government’s goal is to guarantee that every home on the coast and hinterland has access to potable water by 2025.
With the need for governments to play a greater role in ensuring that their people have access to potable water, Minister Croal said: “Here in Guyana, and with President Ali reminding us that a lot of resources are being injecting in Guyana Water Inc., we are delivering on those commitments. More importantly, never has there been this amount of resources given for us to reach our mandate.”
He further explained that the mandate of the government is “water is for all.” However, he noted that in order to do that, a lot of requirements have to be met.
“Here on the coastland, 97.5 per cent of people have access to water. As new schemes are opening up, we have to also provide new access.”
WATER QUALITY
Acknowledging that many people are dissatisfied with the quality of the water that they are receiving in some areas, Minister Croal stated that the Guyana Government is currently working on installing treatment plants across the nation along with other measures, to ensure that the problem is rectified.
He also noted that since the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) took office, in just over three years, the government has drilled over 80 wells, both on the coastland and the hinterland.
According to him, “There are complaints in some areas about the water, the quality, and this is where the injection for a number of treatment plants, new in-line filters, etc., and the resource are being provided. That is where most of our money is going, because when we talk about a better quality of life, this is what we are talking about.”
“This year provided, not a lack of resources; it became a capacity challenge, especially on the coastland. For a number of those new areas to become part of the connection or part of the grill, we have at least 40 wells we are expecting to drill. That’s a lot of wells, but what we have now is not enough. And so, the government is committed to ensuring that the nation and all of our citizens have access to potable water,” the minister explained.
“According to our mandate, by the end of next year, we will be able to provide a minimum of 90 per cent access to treated water on the coast. Now more than ever, we are seeing the prolonged effect of the dry season, especially in the hinterland,” he added.
HINTERLAND
Underscoring that his ministry is “fast tracking” the effort to ensure that every town has access to portable water from a well rather than a river. He also highlighted that some of the regions are further advanced than some in the hinterland in terms of coverage.
“In the hinterland, we are fast tracking the initiative, and some of the regions are more advanced than others in terms of coverage, but we are continuing the work. Every community that is receiving directly from a riverine source, we are removing them because we want them to get water from a well or, in some cases, the spring,” the minister noted.
In continuing, he said: “Because of the flow of the water from the mountain, we harness or trap that and create a gravity flow, which is one of the most powerful and reliable sources because it gives you a heavier flow.”
Minister Croal emphasised that while there is a lot of work going on “behind the scenes,” the government is committed to making sure that everyone in the nation has access to portable water by 2025. He also asked everyone to act as ambassadors for water conservation.
“Recognising that today is World Water Day… and the important aspect of all of this is to bring more awareness, and we are hoping that everyone can be ambassadors. However, children are the best ambassadors… for getting this message across. I hope that our children here and across the nation will share the message of how important water is for us and that it is a necessity for our conservation.”
World Water Day 2024 was celebrated under the theme, ‘Leveraging Water for Peace.’
