Pressure for GWI contractors who dig-up roads and leave them in a mess
The state of Republic Street Newtown Kitty for almost one year now after water mains were replaced
In-house maintenance crews, or contractors executing works for Guyana Water Inc., could face consequences if they continue to break roads and other infrastructure while installing or repairing water mains and pipe and then leave without fixing or reporting the damage to those infrastructures.
This was the assurance given by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, during meetings he had with residents across Region 6 on Saturday.
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal (backing camera) in one of his meetings on Saturday
Residents complained that in many instances, when workers employed by the water company show up in their communities to execute works, they sometimes have to break the road in order to access pipelines, and in almost every instance when the works are finished, the roads are left unrepaired.
A typical example of this very practice is evident along Republic Street Newtown Kitty, between Lamaha and Garnett Streets, where for almost one year, the street which was dug up by workers who executed pipeline works for GWI has remained that way, as no one returned to fix the road.
As it is now, the road remains almost impassable. This publication did raise this issue once with an official of the Water Company earlier this year, but to date, nothing has changed.
Croal told the residents of Berbice that the practice cannot be allowed to continue, and GWI will be informed that once works are carried out by its in-house teams or contractors, any damage to infrastructure must be remedied before the works are signed off as being complete.
On Saturday, while in Berbice, it was also brought to the attention of the Minister that a number of persons, including residents, have been squatting and building permanent structures on community centre grounds, playfields, and other areas earmarked for further development of some of these communities.
Poor quality of potable water, no water service, being billed for water they never received, unoccupied house lots with overgrowth, no garbage collection, undeveloped community grounds, lack of phone and internet services, are among the issues Berbicians are fuming over.
Expansion of GWI’s services, frequent flushing of pipelines, additional wells, strengthening GWI’s Central Housing operations in the region, improved customer service, and engaging stakeholders on the telephone and internet issues in the region, are among some of the solutions that Croal said will be offered by his ministry as medium and long-term initiatives (where applicable) to address the residents’ concerns.
Ten communities were visited on Saturday as part of the Minister’s engagement, which was also attended by technical officers of GWI, Central Housing and regional officials.
