White paper for improving country’s drainage

A committee comprising personnel from the ministries of Communities, Agriculture, and Public Infrastructure are currently working on recommendations to craft a ‘white paper’ that would aid in addressing the critical drainage issues throughout Guyana.

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan has said that, six weeks ago, the President entrusted the three government ministries to craft this white paper, since the issue of drainage has become a critical one across Guyana.

The committee has already started working; and, so far, a preliminary paper has been prepared by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). Several options are listed therein, including an expanded role for the NDIA.

Minister Bulkan notes that this initiative is necessary, since Regional Democratic Councils (RDC), Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC), and municipalities do not have the capacity, and are challenged to effectively manage drainage in their respective areas.

“I engaged all the RDCs, putting the policy paper before them and inviting their responses to the actions, and all of them favoured this recommendation. And it is clear (that they favour this recommendation) because they recognise they don’t have the technical skills, capacity, resources and machinery to otherwise address the drainage in their regions,” Bulkan said.

Minister Bulkan noted that the RDCs, NDCs and Municipalities’ lack of resources is resulting in hardship and misery for many people, especially when there is severe flooding and no systems are in place to deal with it. He emphasised that the option recommended is one that would allow for an expanded role for a central authority, to be properly resourced by the Central Government to discharge this responsibility.

Several communities, including communities along the Pomeroon River and communities in regions Six, Seven and Eight, have experienced severe flooding. This resulted in destruction of homes, farmlands and other livelihoods.

Minister Bulkan has said that Government is working assiduously to ensure that this chronic drainage issue is resolved and flooding is a thing of past.

A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that informs concisely about a complex issue. It is meant to create understanding about an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.