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White paper on drainage sees NDIA playing bigger role
A committee comprising personnel from the Ministries of Communities, Agriculture and Public Infrastructure is currently working on recommendations to craft a white paper that will aid in addressing the critical
A bigger role for NDIA is being seen as key to help solve the country’s drainage woes.
drainage issues throughout Guyana.
Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, disclosed that six weeks ago the President entrusted the three government ministries to craft this white paper, since the drainage issue across Guyana has become a critical one.
The committee has already started working and so far, a preliminary paper was prepared by National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) which listed several options; including an expanded role for NDIA.
The Minister noted that this initiative is necessary since Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Municipalities do not have the capacity and are challenged to effectively manage drainage in their respective areas.
“I engaged all the RDCs, putting the policy paper before them and inviting their responses to the actions, and all of them favoured this recommendation, and it is clear because they recognise they don’t have the technical skills, capacity, resources and machinery to otherwise address the drainage in their regions,” Bulkan said.
The Minister noted that this lack of resources by RDCs, NDCs and Municipalities is resulting in hardship and misery for many people, especially when there is severe flooding and no systems in place to deal with it. He emphasized that the option recommended is one that would allow for an expanded role for a central authority to be properly resourced by the Central Government to discharge this responsibility.
Several communities including communities along the Pomeroon River and communities in Regions Six, Seven and Eight have experienced severe flooding. This resulted in destruction of homes, farmlands and other livelihoods.
Minister Bulkan said the government is working assiduously to ensure that this chronic drainage issue is resolved and flooding is a thing of past.
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that informs concisely about a complex issue. It is meant to create understanding about an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.
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