President Irfaan Ali has announced the establishment of a multi-agency task team to revamp the country’s drainage system.

The team, which comprises technicians and administrators from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, the Central Housing and Planning Authority, and the Drainage and Irrigation Authority, is expected to come up with a new action plan to develop the country’s drainage system, with special attention on the drainage system in Georgetown.

During a meeting with the team today, the President said the current drainage plan for the city is outdated and cannot cater to the increasing demands of the city.

“So, we are coming up with a plan, an action plan, the Georgetown drainage development plan that would have immediate short and medium term investment not only to improve the drainage and expand the drainage in the city to cater for the massive development and expansion that is taking place, but also to improve capability and capacity of city through other issues through integrated drainage, issues like parking, issues like improvement of parapet and the beautification of the city all of that we will be able to integrate in this drainage plan,” the President said today.

The first phase will include the clearing of all parapets across the city, so that works can begin. It was explained that there is a design capability and condition survey of each drain, and all outfalls and pump stations have been identified.

“One of the other things that we want to achieve is the modernization of our sewer system within the city itself and we will be talking to the Guyana Water Inc., because they have a plan to build out a new sewer system for the treatment of the raw sewer coming out of the city. So, we are also working on that,” the President stated.

The President said while the project will commence in Georgetown, the drainage system in all the urban areas will be examined.

He said having effective drainage systems is part of the priority under the Low Carbon Development Strategy.

Additionally, the President is pleading with citizens of Georgetown to give their full cooperation to the project.

“While I understand there will be some amount of inconvenience this is necessary for the health and well-being of the city, this is necessary for the improvements of your  properties, the safety and security of your property, protecting your property from flooding and this is also part of improving the value of your property,” the President stated.

The President said the team will also be working with the regions to ensure that the drainage systems within the urban areas are also up to standard.

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