Some 1,125 residents of the village of Aishalton in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) are now benefitting from access to potable water with the completion of a new $25 million water supply system.
Aishalton Village is located in the Deep South of the Rupununi Savannah approximately four hours from the town of Lethem.
According to a Guyana Water Inc (GWI) release, the new water supply system was commissioned on Sunday, February 2, by Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock.
The minister told the residents that the water system does not have a “political brand”, but belongs to the entire community. Therefore, he said, the residents should use the system to “unify the community.”
The system was completed by in-house staff of GWI in close collaboration with the Aishalton Village Council and funded by the Government of Guyana and GWI.
It comprises a new 108-meter deep well, a distribution network, photovoltaic system and 95 service connections. The network is also being provided with water from the 80-meter deep well drilled by the Brazilian army in late 2018.
Managing Director of GWI, Dr Richard Van West-Charles assured that every effort is being made to ensure that water borne diseases are a thing of the past for hinterland residents.
He turned attention to the fact that there has been a paradigm shift in the way water is provided to residents of the hinterland. It is no longer, he said, being provided to only a section of a village where only the schools and health facilities may have access, but is now even being delivered directly to the homes of residents.
Dr Van West-Charles disclosed that GWI has also been examining the infrastructure in Region Nine schools where instances of non-functioning sanitary blocks were discovered. The company in collaboration with the Ministry of Communities and the Regional Administration, he said, are moving to remedy the situation.
GWI explained that in Region Nine, it is ensuring that each village has servicemen who are responsible for maintaining the water supply system and Aishalton has two such persons. The Board of Directors and Management of GWI in 2019 issued its approval for these servicemen to now be on the payroll of the company rather than just receiving a stipend. These servicemen, who will receive additional training in the maintenance of solar panels, will report to their respective Toshaos and Village Councils.
The Managing Director emphasised that these servicemen play a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of the water supply in their respective villages and will, among other things, be responsible for checking for leaks.
He thanked the residents, toshao and councillors for their support and collaboration in the execution of the project and assured that GWI is working to ensure that the residents have 24-hour access to potable water.
Toshao of Aishalton, Michael Thomas, expressed his community’s gratitude to GWI for the execution of the project which has improved the lives of residents. On behalf of the residents across the sub-district, he also thanked the Government of Guyana and the Brazilian army for the wells that were drilled.
Other residents echoed their gratitude to GWI for the new water supply system. One resident, Stephanie Sears-Felix, said that water is the main source of survival and over the years, the residents would suffer when the hand-dug wells went dry. She noted that the new system will ensure that the community has an abundance of water which will benefit everyone. Further, she pointed out that while in the past residents had to walk long distances to fetch water, they now are able access it in their homes and can even drink that water.
This is the sixth water supply system commissioned by GWI in Region Nine within the last three months. The Kaicumbay, Yupukari, Moco Moco, Sand Creek and St Ignatius Water supply systems were commissioned in November and December, 2019, the release added.
