Government held consultations with residents of the Essequibo River islands of Leguan and Wakenaam in relation to the construction of airstrips on both islands.
This is according to Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) Chairman, Julius Faerber.
The regional chairman told Stabroek News on Wednesday that a team including Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall and himself, met with residents of both islands sometime last year and discussed the airstrip proposal. He said the process is now in its initial stages while an advertisement was placed in the press for the acquisition of land at Leguan. According to Faerber, the technical aspects of the projects are being carried out by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.
Government has set aside $184M in this year’s budget for the construction of airstrips at Leguan and Wakenaam while $108M was also allocated for those projects in last year’s budget in addition to the rehabilitation of the Baramita airstrip in Region 1. However, no work was undertaken.
During recent visits to the two islands, residents told Stabroek News that they were not consulted and they felt the airstrips should not take precedence over other needs such as roads and drainage.
Asked for a comment on the airstrips proposal, People’s National Congress Reform-One Guyana Member of Parliament Mervyn Williams told this newspaper that he was informed by persons at Leguan that no consultation took place by the authorities with residents. He said the administration uses consultation as a ‘convenience tool’.
Williams, who is his party’s Region 3 representative, noted that issues such as the islands’ sea defence and the absence of jobs are priorities which should be addressed urgently. He said that he is concerned about the sea defence at Leguan, noting that he has viewed photographic images of the effects of high tides on the island. According to the MP, the absence of technical and vocational facilities on both islands should be addressed urgently noting that many households have been moving away from the islands as a result of the absence of jobs, among other factors. Addressing the difficult times faced by rice farmers, Williams said that a plant was set up at Leguan sometime ago which would have made the drying of paddy by rice farmers more convenient. However, the facility is presently unserviceable. In addition, Williams said that the government has been spending millions of dollars on the rehabilitation of the roads at Leguan but most of the roads are presently in a deplorable state.
As regards the construction of the airstrip at Leguan, Williams reasoned that when the project is realized the airfare from Leguan to Ogle would be at least $10,000. Added to that, he said, is the $1500 fare to travel from Ogle to Georgetown by taxi, since the aerodrome is located some distance away from the main roadways on the East Coast of Demerara. He noted that this figure when compared to the fare which the islanders presently pay to travel by boat to Parika as well as the bus fare from that port to Georgetown is significantly different. He also said that it is obvious that persons would prefer to spend less money on travelling to and from the island since most of them are poor. Williams said he has been in touch with persons at both islands and was told that there is “absolutely no economic benefit” from an airstrip.
On another point, he noted that there are opportunities for the establishment of technical facilities on the West Demerara. He said that in the Parika/Salem area there is an unserviceable kiln drying machine which can be repaired and used and youths in those villages can be trained to operate the machine. In addition, Williams noted that persons at the village of Den Amstel have spoken to him about the creation of extra curricular facilities as he noted that he has made representation for the establishment of such facilities to the National Assembly.
