The Alliance For Change (AFC) has expressed concern that despite a $150 million investment by the government to provide water to Mahdia, none was reportedly available to fight the inferno which raged through the community’s main commercial centre on Thursday evening.
However, Water Minister Irfaan Ali has criticised the AFC for trying to politicise the fire and he told Stabroek News that the water system in the community had been affected by the recent flood—a situation that the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has been working to correct. Further, Ali said that the “claim that that $150 million was spent on water supply in Mahdia is a complete fabrication and that it was dishonest.” According to Ali, between 2005 and now, $80.5 million has been spent by the administration on the water system in the community.
In a release issued yesterday, the AFC said that it will be dispatching a team to assess the losses and to investigate reports that despite the $150 million recently spent on providing water to the community, not a drop was available for use as the fire raged and consumed building after building.”
Further, the AFC said that “residents are understandably upset that an important community as theirs is without water and even a fire tender to address calamities such as the one which struck on Thursday….”
The fire reduced several structures in the commercial area of Mahdia to rubble, leaving behind millions of dollars in losses and dozens homeless. Reports coming out of the community on the evening of the fire indicated that trucks were being used to ferry water from a creek located some distance away, as the residents battled the blaze.
In response, Ali explained that the community is supplied with water via a gravity system fed through a spring box. He said that during the recent heavy rainfall, the box became silted, which affected the inflow. He said the matter was reported to GWI and it is working on clearing the spring box. According to Ali, the regional officials are aware of the problem. Asked when the water system will be operational again, he said that GWI is almost finished its work.
“The entire body of the AFC commiserates with the victims of the Mahdia fire who lost their homes and possessions on Thursday,” the party’s release said.
According to the AFC, it has asked its representatives in the Mahdia community to meet with the victims to conduct a fact finding exercise as to their immediate needs. Following this, the party “will endeavour to provide whatever relief it reasonably can.”
Meanwhile, Ali said that his ministry “will be working closely with the team dispatched by His Excellency to bring relief to the community.” He said that discussions have already been held with Prime Minister Sam Hinds, as to how his ministry could render assistance. “I will not be distracted by the AFC and their childish political behavior,” Ali said.
