Housing Ministry earmarks $100M in road upgrades for EBD communities

DPI – Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, on Monday, announced that this year, $100 million would be spent on road works in several communities along the East Bank Demerara.

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal delivers his address during an outreach to the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council.
Minister Croal said the project will come under the Ministry’s Community Road Repair and Enhancement programme in the 2021 National Budget.

“Some of these roads will be from Herstelling all the way to Mocha and where you have that Providence main road. That will include Covent Garden and Farm so you can see improvement immediately in this year,” he said.

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal interacts with this resident during an outreach to the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council.
The Minister was at the time conducting a community outreach in the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC). He was accompanied by CEO of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Mr. Sherwyn Greaves, and a team of technical officers.

Residents raised concerns about dilapidated roads, water and the need for street lights in the communities. Several persons had issues regarding their lands addressed.

Minister Croal used the opportunity to highlight some of the projects that would be executed in the new and existing communities along the East Bank corridor, under the Ministry’s 2021 work programme.

Central Housing and Planning Authority CEO, Mr. Sherwyn Greaves addresses this resident’s concerns during an outreach to the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council.
Meanwhile, some $40 million will be spent to construct a new well at Providence as part of efforts to address the water woes along the East Bank. Minister Croal said the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) would start work on the new structure shortly.

“The resources have been made available to GWI. They are currently working at Farm; when they complete that project then they will move to put in that new well at Providence. The intention is to have a complete interconnectivity so that everyone will be receiving the same pressure,” he said.

Minister Croal said the GWI would also be procuring water filter media for the water treatment plants along the East Bank. He added that residents would benefit from an improved quality of water through their taps by May.

He explained that as part of the Government’s holistic community enhancement programme, infrastructure such as roads, bridges, drainage and water channels and electricity and street lights would also be built in housing schemes.

The Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dwight Walrond (grey shirt) meets cattle farmers.
To this end, the CH&PA would be installing solar lights in Farm, Covent Garden and Providence by the end of February.

The CH&PA is also reviewing several proposals to establish markets in Farm and other neighbouring communities. While a location has been proposed by the NDC, the Ministry will be engaging the Guyana Sugar Corporation on the availability of the area identified.

“All our schemes will cater for a market so you can have cluster. There is one model that will see tarmacs and you have multi-use of those tarmacs, similarly like what is happening in Diamond. And the other model is for a specific identified market building so you can have the necessary sections depending on what you are selling,” Minister Croal said.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) addressed the issue of animals being left to graze in communities. GLDA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dwight Walrond convened a separate meeting with cattle farmers who indicated their willingness to relocate their cattle from residential areas once they have access to lands.