Budget to pour $3.8B into water sector

$1.6B has been allocated to the housing sector this year while $3.8B has been budgeted for the water sector.
$1.2B of the housing sector allotment will be expended to advance infrastructural works including roads, drains, and water distribution networks in areas such as Onderneeming, Cummings Lodge, Glasgow, Belle West, and Parfaite Harmonie, said Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, in making his presentation of the 2009 Budget to the National Assembly on Monday.

He stated that this year, Government will allocate in excess of 2000 house lots and process and distribute 2500 land titles and further increase outreach activity to encourage allottees to occupy their house lots within the stipulated time.

In the water sector, the construction of two new wells to provide water to over 12,000 households at Grove/Diamond and Parfaite Harmonie will be completed while the Central Ruimveldt and Sophia Water Treatment Plants, which will see improved quality of water supplied to over 80 000 persons within Georgetown, will also be completed this year and will have the capacity to produce 12 million litres of water per day.

Water treatment plants at Lima, Cotton Tree and Vergenoegen will also be completed and will result in 48,000 people benefiting from improved distribution and quality of water supplied. Expansion and improvement of water distribution networks at coastal locations and Linden will see service connection upgrades at Grove/Diamond, and Industry to Plaisance, rehabilitation of distribution networks at Sophia and Enmore, and transmission upgrade at Blue Berry Hill to Christianburg, Dr. Singh said.

He declared that government will continue to improve access to potable water in hinterland communities and $61m has been allocated for the provision of potable water supply systems at several interior locations, including Port Kaituma, St. Cuthbert’s Mission, Morakobai, Orealla, Jawalla, Kato, and Katoonarib.

Meantime, under the Solid Waste Management programme, the Mandela landfill site continues to be operational, while the construction of access roads and the new landfill site at Haags Bosch is projected to commence this year. The project encompasses several components, including development and implementation of the institutional and legal framework, development of waste management plans for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), and public awareness and community participation, the Finance Minister said.