Residents of the Tuschen/ Uitvlugt Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Region Three are to benefit from the ongoing Community Roads Improvement Project (CRIP).
Contracts valued $163M were signed on Tuesday between the NDC and Dipcon Engineering Services Limited for the rehabilitation, construction, upgrade and improvement of 23 roads in the NDC, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported.
According to Dipcon’s country manager Vishnu Mungal, works are expected to commence within the next two weeks, GINA stated.
CRIP, which was launched last Wednesday in Region Five, is aimed at improving access to housing, education, health, and other social infrastructure and caters for the construction of 204 roads. The project will be implemented in 12 NDCs.
The contracts for Tuschen/Uitvlugt were inked in the presence of Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali, ministry officials, engineers, and residents.
Minister Ali urged that residents play an active role in maintaining the roads. He noted that the main asphaltic road in the Tuschen Housing Scheme was recently completed but two days later four tractors took up residence on the road shoulders.
“…If you don’t have social responsibility and a culture that is developed within our society to respect and treat with the investments in a manner that will ensure that they remain sustainable, then we have a bigger problem than even building the roads… We all equally contribute when we do the wrong things,” he said. He urged that citizens use the opportunity of enhanced living conditions to ignite a change of behaviour and culture within a community, GINA said.
Regional Chairman, Region Three, Julius Faerber described the signing of the 23 roads contract as a historic one and explained that the roads were selected through inspection and community consultations.
He said that upon completion of the roads, residents should play their part in protecting and maintaining them. He also said they must work with the contractor to ensure that quality work is executed.
Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall said, “We see development not just from one end, but development also by communities. For us, it is important that we engage communities through the process of providing the public good that will benefit citizens.
We see development therefore of our local people that when we empower them with the investments and interventions that their lives will be improved.”
Dharamlall noted that there are still areas on the coast, where people walk on mud dams so residents should acknowledge the investment undertaken by government for the benefit of the citizens.
According to GINA, the roads to be improved will cover 7.15 km in communities: Uitvlugt – Bruda Street and Sideline dam; Zeeburg – Mandal Street, Old Road, Corilla Street and School Street; De Willem – Cone Shop Street; Meten-Meer-Zorg (East) – Kastev Road Street, Pump Station Street, Kastev Back Road, 1st Street, 2nd Street, 1st Cross Street, 2nd Cross Street and 1st Street Prem Nagar; Meten-Meer-Zorg (West) – Red Spot Road, Middle Street Railway View, Tarla Dam and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Cross Street Housing Scheme.
In addition, the cleaning, reshaping and realigning of existing roadside drains along with the construction of new drains will be undertaken.
