Region 9 at critical stage – Chairman

…Govt will help after Budget debate
…Pomeroon residents also suffering

By Jillicia Pinder & Indrawattie Natram

Residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) who have been experiencing severe drought conditions over the past several weeks now have to wait until the Budget 2016 debate ends before the Government of Guyana can provide adequate assistance.

During a telephone interview with this publication on Monday, Region Nine Chairman Brian Allicock stated that he had recently returned from Georgetown after a visit with the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock to initiate ways to help the people who are suffering within the Region.

The Chairman shared that the Minister had told him that after the Budget debate has concluded, Cabinet would assemble and determine aid for residents of Region Nine.

He further stated that 10 priority villages have so far been identified, including those in South Rupununi which are in dire need of immediate attention.

The Regional Chairman added much help was needed to actually make an impact within the drying region.

Speaking to Guyana Times International on Monday about the situation in Region Nine, Minister Allicock stated that the Ministry was engaged in continuous discussions with the regional administration and “some potential support”. “Hopefully we could be able to have that support coming soon so that we will be able to address the water situation. Most of all, the only thing to depend on is the rain ‘cause even the wells are getting dry,” Allicock said.

He stated that for the time being, the Administration was providing water purification systems in various communities.

Pomeroon

Meanwhile, residents living in both Upper and Lower Pomeroon in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are also severely affected by the dry weather conditions and according to them, sourcing potable water for domestic purposes is problematic.

As a result, the residents are calling on the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to activate the Charity outlet so that farmers can source potable drinking water.

According to a Councillor for the Charity/Ursara Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Derick Austin, residents are in need of drinking water. He said that the water in the Pomeroon area has become relatively salty and could not be used for any purpose at the moment. “Many families depend on the Pomeroon River for water to cook and drink. They were going far for fresh sweet water; now, everywhere it’s salty and persons cannot afford to purchase,” Austin noted.

The cash crop farmer said that families travelled long distances every day in the Pomeroon River to source water, but now they could not do so. He suggested that the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) outlet in Charity be put into operation to ease the burden families in the area faced, as once the outlet was operational, families could paddle their way to Charity and fill their containers. He also called on the Government of Guyana to provide families with black tanks so that in the near future they could be able to store water.