Dear Editor,
I attended the inauguration of the Guyana Water Council on April 23, 2008. From the onset, I wish the chairman Mr Chandarpal and members well.
The minister assured the gathering that the council will function as a neutral body, and its members would apply only their professional experiences.
In the interest of posterity, I hope this will be realized, since water remains an important resource for the development and wellbeing of our citizens.In those circumstances, however, let us hope that the powers that be would listen to advice offered, accepting that many in our society, who are neither sycophants or members of the ruling elite but are genuine patriots can help by offering sound advice.
Earlier, when the Georgetown City Council was represented on the GWI Board, I recall offering advice after speaking to persons I had met in the Caribbean, to be wary of the consulting firm attached to GWI, and I cautioned the minister of that time. Time proved me right as the consultancy proved a disaster, a waste of time and money.
The honourable minister in his presentation expressed concern about the woeful waste of water, and he particularly alluded to the farmers of West Coast Berbice. At an earlier consultation, I proposed that we either install two streams of water in communities, one for drinking only and one for other uses, or that Guyana Water Inc produce drinking water in containers for sale at an economic rate.
Because of a lack of faith in the quality of water by the majority of citizens in Guyana, there is now a flourishing business of bottled water by the private sector.
I argued that at the Shelter Belt and other production plants they should produce water for other purposes by a primary process of removing harmful and unpleasant elements from the water.
In fairness I advanced this idea before 1992, that it made no sense to chlorinate and filter the water rather than spending millions of dollars to import alum to produce clear purified water to flush our toilets, wash our horses, dogs, cars and for the fire service to use when there is a fire. One member who is now on the council treated these proposals with scorn.
Now that the new council has been formed, I hope it will consider the idea, which I believe is still feasible and sensible.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green JP
