$35M water distribution system for Quarrie village

…to push potable water coverage from 20% to 95%

Some 150 residents of Quarrie, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) will soon receive first-time access to potable water from the drilling of a new well and distribution network within their community.
The contract to the tune of $35 million was awarded to R Kissoon Construction Company and residents were engaged on Sunday at Quarrie Community Centre by Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues.
This forms part of His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s commitments to the residents during a three-day outreach in August of this year.
Minister Rodrigues highlighted that successive PPP/C Governments have always been supportive of Indigenous communities. This is seen by the injections of budgetary allocations in the various sectors and the plethora of programmes rolled out to accelerate Amerindian development.

By the completion of this project, the Minister highlighted that the new system will see water coverage in the area moving from 20 to 95 per cent.
Meanwhile, Guyana Water Incorporated’s (GWI) Hinterland Director, Ramchand Jailall indicated that the well should be completed by early January which will bring instant relief to the residents within the community.
Minister Rodrigues would have also engaged residents of Shulinab and Meriwau, Region Nine – who are now receiving improved water supply with the extension to the water distribution system in Shulinab.
The expansion to the water network will benefit some 18 households in Shulinab and 12 households in Meriwau since residents were getting water from hand-dug wells.
Minister Rodrigues during her engagement with the residents noted that the overall goal is to attain 100 per cent access to water by 2025 since the aim of the Government is to ensure everybody has access to water.
Minister Rodrigues also conducted a visit to the water distribution system. As part of the Government’s housing drive in Region Nine, the Government has signed contracts with several village councils to manufacture clay bricks that will be used for the construction of homes.
These include 100,000 blocks from Kwatamang, 120,000 clay bricks from Shea, and Moco Moco and Surama for the supply of timber. A contract will be signed with the Shulinab Village Council for the supply of 400,000 clay bricks very soon.
Moreover, 80 beneficiaries have already signed contracts for their homes to be built.