24-hour water supply, housing development for Mahdia

Residents of Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), are slated to benefit from improved water access and housing development as part of the Government’s plans to develop the township.
This was revealed by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal during a visit to the municipality on Sunday. He was accompanied by Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, to engage residents on several Government programmes and policies which will develop their communities.

During the meeting at the Mahdia Secondary School, Minister Croal announced plans to enhance the water supply for households through the provision of 24-hour water services. He also discussed plans for housing development in Mahdia.
Residents were also given the opportunity to raise a number of concerns with the Ministers.
Since taking office in August 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government has injected some $1.5 billion into its hinterland water programme in its quest to increase hinterland water coverage by 100 per cent by 2025.
This money has resulted in the drilling of new well systems and upgrades to existing systems in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Several riverine Amerindian communities within the coastal regions are being looked at for upgrades to the systems.
Minister Croal had said back in September that these investments are based on an assessment done on water coverage across the hinterland. Based on that assessment, he noted the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) crafted a five-year strategic plan to guide the hinterland and coastal water programme.
The Housing and Water Minister explained that while the focus is on coverage, an important component of the programme is to ensure residents are receiving water of acceptable quality.

Therefore, emphasis is placed on those communities that depend on the creeks or rivers for water for domestic use, he stated.
“Many of the riverine communities, for example, their main source of water is from the river, as the years go by the quality of that water gets bad because of the number of mining activities, the amount of movement within the river…so, we have been putting more and more systems in those areas as well as seeking to tap into the natural flow if there’s spring water as well as using from the mountains,” the Minister had noted.
According to Croal, these initiatives are aimed at providing a better quality of life to the citizens. It is also in keeping with the Government of Guyana’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Six – water and sanitation for all.
In the Ministry of Finance’s 2022 Mid-Year Report, it was disclosed that of the $394.5 million allocated for hinterland water supply systems, $164.3 million was expended.
New wells and distribution networks will be completed by the end of his year at Itabac, Sand Hill, Maikwak and Kaman in the Potaro-Siparuni region
Currently, about 61 per cent of the hinterland population has access to potable water, and once the projects are completed, the Administration’s 2022 target of 70 per cent will be well in order.