The issues of water shortage and mosquito infestation at the St Aidan’s Primary School at Linden are being addressed.

Stabroek News was reliably informed that the regional administration has been working daily to rectify the water problems. The problems with the toilets have been rectified but water has not yet started flowing through the pipe system.

On Tuesday last, through an intervention by Chairman of the Regional Parent Teachers’ Association Selwyn Sills, BOSAI facilitated the spraying of the school. However the problem of the mosquito infestation returned on Friday and teachers were forced to spray with insect repellent to ward off the bug.

Communication Officer at the Regional Democratic Council Leon Roberts said that all the schools in the town were sprayed prior to the September 1 opening of school. He said that since the infestation returned in such short time frame other options of dealing with the situation would have to be looked at.

Roberts said he was disappointed that the office of Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo was not contacted prior to Friday’s publication. “The regional chairman is the head of the education committee for the region and it was totally unfair that he was not contacted by Stabroek News for comment on the matter prior it publishing the story on Friday.” He added that it would appear that no attempt was made to address the problem.

Sills, on the other hand, said he would be working with the school’s PTA to address the problem. He opined that since the infestation had returned within a short period after spraying, it may necessitate the spraying of the entire community. There are no swamps or other nesting grounds for mosquitoes in the immediate surroundings of the school except the heavily forested area which is some distance off from the school.