The need for collaboration between Village Councils and the Guyana Water Inc. was stressed during the Kanuku Mountain Community Representative Group’s (KNCRG) second board meeting for 2019.
This call was made by GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles.
According to a GWI press release on Friday, he was addressing Toshaos and other village representatives in the presence of Minister and Minister within the of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe respectively in Lethem on Thursday.
Van West-Charles noted that greater collaboration will guide GWI on how to prioritize, monitor and tackle gaps within Amerindian villages.
As the sole water body, GWI should be integrally involved when new economic community projects that require water, are being planned, Van West-Charles stated.
He added that shallow, hand-dug wells can no longer work and as such, the company has undertaken to drill deeper wells using new technology. Distribution networks are also being installed to guarantee access to water, even for residents living far from the water source.
President of the KMCRG, Russian Dorrick said that residents have welcomed water access in their homes, particularly after a day’s work in the fields.
The release said that Allicock commended GWI for the works done throughout Region 9 to date and called on the villages to maintain the water systems.
GWI is in the process of acquiring two rigs and other equipment, which would boost its efficiency in drilling wells in a timely manner.
