October 27, 2023 – Twenty-seven families of New Providence, Mahaicony will soon have access to potable water, after more than 20 years, with no access to this vital service.

In 2021, Minister within the Ministry, the Hon. Susan Rodrigues met with residents of the Community and after hearing their plight, committed to resolving it.

Earlier today, the Minister returned to the community along with Member of Parliament, Mr. Faizal Jaffarally; Regional Chairman, Mr. Vickchand Ramphal; and Regional Manager-GWI, Mr. Darsan Heralall, as they inspected the ongoing works and updated residents of the development.

Works have commenced for the installation of a 4 inch distribution main and the 27 service connections to the households. The contract was awarded to Voglezon Contracting Services and is expected to be completed by the first week in November.

Minister Rodrigues during her engagement with the residents, thanked them for their patience, noting that despite the delays and challenges faced in making the project possible, the Region and her office were relentless in their efforts.

“Your regional repsentatives were aware of the situation and they informed me, for some it may seem like a small issue but it is important to you since access to water is essential”.

She added that, while the government, through the Ministry continues to focus on major projects, access for smaller communities is imperative.

“We still have communities that don’t have access and that remains a top priority for the government and a lot of communities are left out because of how they were formed.”

Nonetheless, Minister Rodrigues reiterated her commitment to ensuring access to potable water for smaller communities that have been neglected for decades.

“Our job is about finding solutions, when it comes to development for citizens we must find solutions to ensure that development reaches our citizens and cooperation is imperative”.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman, Mr. Ramphal on the occasion expressed his appreciation to the Minister for her intervention and called on residents to play their part in ensuring that the new facility is taken care of.

Member of Parliament, Mr. Jarafally also express similar sentiments and he thanked the residents for allowing GWI access to their lands to make the project a reality.

Also while in the area, the Minister and team met with residents of Perth, Mahaicony where the discussions were held on the extension of the water distribution network to the area.

Residents are also seeking the Minister’s intervention on a number of issues affecting them, including; road rehabilitation, employment and other infrastructure development needs of the community.

The Minister assured residents that she will work closely with the region and her other cabinet colleaues to address some of the concerns raised.

The Regional representatives also took the opportunity to update the residents of Perth on ongoing development works.

Photos: Sydel Thomas CHPA PR Dept.