Heavy vehicles start moving on bypass

Jul 25, 2010 News

Damaged Ituni/Kwakwani road…

Almost two weeks after flood waters washed away a section of the Ituni/Kwakwani roadway, heavy vehicles that were stranded have started to move again, easing worried residents and loggers.
Kwakwani residents and regional officials yesterday confirmed that a bypass that was built mainly from the help of a few community-minded persons is holding up but still needs some more work to strengthen it. Work on the main roadway will continue.
Already, several truckloads of sand have been filled over the damaged sections but it may be some time before this could be fixed, engineers admitted.

The damaged Ituni/Kwakwani road.

Heavy rains, coupled with spring tides, have ravaged the Region Ten location, and following the damage to the Ituni/Kwakwani roadway, left residents of Kwakwani and Aroaima cut off.
The Ituni/Kwakwani trail is a key link between the Berbice riverain areas and Linden. The damaged section had impacted logging and other economic activities.
Several large logging companies, including Bai Shan Ling, are operating in the Kwakwani backdam with RUSAL conducting bauxite mining in the Aroaima area.
Government had rushed supplies to the area, officials said.
Among the hardest hit areas was Coomacka which saw floodwaters from a swollen Demerara River submerging roadways and rains bringing tons of sand down from the bauxite mines.
Waters have receded considerably, residents said on Friday.

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More African groups receive assistance for Emancipation celebrations

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in collaboration with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) on Friday donated three cheques; totalling $400,000 to three African cultural groups.
The Ministry recently donated $1.6M to 46 African cultural groups, in order to help them with Emancipation celebrations.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony stated that Guyanese need to preserve their culture and pass it down to as many generations as possible because citizens tends to ignore the role that their culture should play in their lives.
Minister Anthony said that cultural beliefs and participation help to anchor individuals with an identity of where they belong and how to appreciate their heritage.
He indicated that the Government has being working with many groups to preserve and strengthen cultural heritage in Guyana.
He also mentioned that his Ministry is pleased to work with the groups and will continue to assist them as a means of promoting cultural heritage in Guyana.
Chief Executive Officer of GT&T, Yog Mahadeo said that the entity recognizes that culture is important to Guyana but not from a perspective of supremacy but of “pure survival” because Guyanese are a reality of their fore parents and that should be appreciated.
Mahadeo further stated that citizens should fulfill their dreams of their fore parents and support the venture that their ancestors started to contribute to their community.

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GT&T cable vandalised again

…company cites sabotage attempt
A cable belonging to the Guyana Telephone and Telephone Company (GT&T) was vandalised some time between Thursday and Friday last, affecting approximately 500 customers in the Middle Road, La Penitence, Costello Housing School areas.

The damaged cable

Given the manner in which the cable was cut, GT&T executives have seen the attack “clearly as an intention to sabotage the company’s image even as we gear up to officially launch the cable next week.”
Added to the other acts over the last three days the company sees it as a clear attempt at causing maximum disruption to its plans and programmes to deliver quality service to customers.
Over the years GT&T cables have been subjected to vandalism but in the form of having the cables removed.