-Persaud tells residents
Residents of Moruca and Mabaruma, in Region One have been worried about the shortage of water for agricultural and domestic use, as a result of the prevailing dry weather conditions.

As a result, the administration has put plans in place to aid the supply of drinking water as a priority, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported.

GINA said the Agriculture Ministry has been making interventions in various affected areas and during a recent visit to the area Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said that at the moment the availability of drinking water must be a priority. He said plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Housing and Water, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development as well as the Guyana Water Incorporated are being undertaken.

Persaud urged the residents, some of whom travelled from Kwebanna, Assakata, Waramuri and Warapoka, to pool their resources to battle the ongoing conditions. The situation is the result of the El Niño dry weather spell, which is expected to continue until the end of April. “Climate change and uncertain weather patterns is (sic) something we have to live with, so we have to devise plans that will enable us to adapt,” the release quoted Persaud as stating.

He further urged the residents to use presidential grants provided to them by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and to make interventions that would provide support during times of crisis.

Persaud issued a challenge to the regional administration, Toshaos and residents to plan interventions that would ensure that communities are equipped to eliminate threats to their food security and he noted that equal attention is being paid to hinterland agriculture, as is done on the coastland.

He said the government is giving a lot of attention to the situation and he called on the regional administration to do likewise.

According to GINA, residents of Mabaruma expressed similar concerns as those at Moruca as regards the shortage of water for both agricultural and domestic use.

During the recent visit to the area, Persaud denied statements made by Alliance For Change (AFC) councillor Michal Hope, who said that the agency has been neglecting the area.

A group of trained extension officers, some graduates of the University of Guyana (UG), Cuba and a few farmers was presented to the residents. Persaud said this service was never available to the region before.

The region also received an excavator, worth some $14 million. It was purchased by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and is a first for the region.

The machine will be used to make emergency interventions, such as the digging of ponds to provide relief to residents in terms of water supply. In addition, two cassava mills, worth $1.2 million, planting materials, baits for acoushi ants and several pigs were also handed over to the region.