Quarrie Village in Central Rupununi, Region 9, has now been added to the list of Hinterland communities in the Region, to have access to clean, potable water.

During a three-day outreach to the region, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, the Hon. Susan Rodrigues commissioned the hand-dug well.

After two failed attempts at drilling two wells at different locations in the village, the hand-dug well proved to be the best option.
GWI’s Hinterland Services Director, Mr. Ramchand Jailall explained that while there are concerns with hand-dug wells, all these were considered during the construction phase.

“After testing the hand-dug well, we saw the capacity was larger and more importantly we ensured it’s resistant to flooding and climate resilient”.

Meanwhile, Minister Rodrigues on the occasion, lauded the engineering skills of the Contractors as well as GWI staff, after they successfully delivered the project. Citing the challenges faced with the two failed attempts to drill the well, she said finding a solution to fix the water woes in the community was a matter of urgency.

“That is what we as a government is about, we make commitments and find solutions and more importantly we deliver on the promises we make”.

This investment, the Minister added is a commitment made by President Irfaan Ali during one of his outreaches to the region.
Minister Rodrigues also called on residents to play their part in ensuring that the facility is cared for and maintained.

However, given the layout of the community, some 26 households will not be served by the well, immediately. To remedy this situation, the Minister announced that these families will be furbished with water tanks to facilitate rainwater harvesting.

“Regardless of the difficulties we will find, we have to find solutions. That is what we were elected to do and this is why we are seeing this much investment in your communities”.

The well which is outfitted with solar panels, overhead storage tanks and pumping system was constructed by R. Kissoon Contracting Services.

Regional Chairman, Mr. Brian Allicock said the region welcomes this development and noted that the regional administration is pleased to be executing strategic programs that support the government’s policies. He added that the region stands committed to working with the central government for the further development of the region.

Below are some more scenes from the activity.