Although the water sector has improved over the past year, one of the lingering challenges facing the entity is its ability to provide treated water to its customers in the future.This is according to Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, who during his end of year press conference, recently,NBA Jerseys China, related that the water sector is at a stage of development which now requires an assessment of the level of the aquifers.Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan AliThis development, the Minister said, has been planned for next year. A $7.1 million grant was handed over to the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to facilitate a preliminary assessment of a section of the coastal aquifers within the Demerara Region.GWI is expected to make an in-kind contribution worth some $4.5M towards this project.According to Minister Ali,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, an assessment of the level of the aquifers will provide vital information in understanding what level of ground resource water is available.“This will determine whether we will have to move towards treated surface water and convert it into surface water (that is for example water we are dumping now into the Demerara River from the Conservancy) into portable water for human consumption. This is one of the challenges and opportunity that we will face in 2010.”The assessment is geared at assessing the physical properties of the ground water reservoirs and ground water itself which will help in the formulation of a data base. It is expected that the information within the database will increase GWI capacity to better understand changes occurring in the reservoirs and help to better manage the use of ground water.Further, the assessment will entail field testing to investigate key properties of the aquifers,Cheap Jerseys, such as the storage capacity and the ability of the aquifer to release water.As part of the project the water quality will also be tested to assess the levels of heavy metals, chlorides and other substances, to give some insight into occurrence of contamination of the water supply.“resent investigation of the status of the groundwater reservoirs is necessary to clarify whether present water extraction rates are sustainable,” said WWF’s Aiesha Williams. She noted, too,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, that increasing demand for water and the potential impacts from climate change may have further detrimental impacts on the coastal aquifers.GWI Acting Director of Investment and Planning, Altaf Gafoor, said that the project will entail efforts being made by the water company to first make a quick assessment to determine what physical changes have occurred in the ground water reservoirs.He underscored that about 80 percent of the local potable water needs are met by ground water sources, thus there is need to pay close attention to the very important resource. As such he referred to the collaboration with the WWF as a ground breaking initiative.“We have done our review, we have done our theoretical write ups and we will move to actual operation… hopefully in another six or eight months we will have final results that will feed into a national strategy,” Gafoor noted.He however added that the forthcoming results will not answer all of the questions that may arise as it relates to ground water but will help to bring focus to areas in which resources are required.Another partner in the initiative which is expected to run for an eight-month period will also is the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Technology,Jerseys From China, according to WWF Country Manager,Cheap NFL Jerseys, Dr Patrick Williams.Through the partnership effort it is expected that there will be a better understanding of sustainability of groundwater reservoirs and a better ability to identify threats to the aquifers functioning as a source of safe water for the public in the longer term.The results of the assessment will provide invaluable information for water management, promoting sustainable use of the underground water and provide guidance for further comprehensive studies.

– amid spike in armed robberiesWith the recent spike in armed robberies across the country, a city businessman yesterday agreed to set up a reward fund for information leading to the arrests and convictions of armed robbers.Owner of RK Security Service,Wholesale Jerseys, Roshan Khan,NFL Jerseys Supply, is calling on the business community to come together and work towards setting up the committee.Kaieteur News understands that once the committee is fully organized, the business community can pool money together. The money will then be used to pay members of the public who can provide information that could lead to the arrest of criminals.Khan recently offered a $1M reward for information on the identity of four gunmen, who recently shot one of his security guards who was on duty, and escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash.He said that if no vital information is provided on the identity of the armed robbers,NFL Jerseys China, he is ready to hand over the reward money to the committee. The businessman believes that this will be very effective in tackling crime.“It has to be a properly managed fund (committee). The business community has to come together and form this in order to tackle crime. It will be good too,Wholesale Jerseys, if the government can contribute,” the founder of the security service said.Khan made it clear that the committee can be managed by anyone, including members from within the Government, Chambers of Commerce or the private sector committee.“We can have people from the government and from the business community running it (committee). That way,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, we will have a free and fair system and it will be well organized,” the businessman lamented.Persons willing to get onboard can contact the security firm when plans on moving forward will be discussed.In the first eight months of this year, there were 613 robberies in which firearms were used. A whopping 283 robberies were reported where other instruments were used by perpetrators. This represents a 10 percent increase in serious crimes as compared to last year.According to Khan, for the past 37 years in the security system, this is the first time that he has seen criminality to this extent.“The police are doing a good job but there is more to be done. Every citizen must be prepared to offer information,Cheap Jerseys From China,” Khan said.He said that it is sickening when he opens the newspaper every day and sees someone getting robbed and sometimes even shot.The businessman said that police should never let their guard down when things appear to calm down because that is when the criminals strike again.

Ministers Dawn Hastings-Williams and Valerie Garrido-Lowe have pledged to enhance the facilities at the Amerindian hostel in Princes Street, as part of an effort aimed at addressing indigenous gender needs.Residents at the meeting in Waramadong.During a four-day visit from April 8 to April 11,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, to Jawalla, Kako, Kamarang, Warawatta and Waramadong,cheap nfl jerseys, Region Seven,Cheap NFL Football Jerseys, Minister within the Ministry of Communities Hastings-Williams and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs,Cheap Jerseys, Garrido-Lowe met with, and listened to the concerns of residents of communities where the state of the Amerindian hostel was a recurring issue of concern.Residents not only complained of the conditions at the Amerindian residence,Cheap Jerseys, but of pregnant women and persons with malaria, tuberculosis and persons living with HIV having to share beds at the facility, a Government statement said.Minister Garrido-Lowe, responding to the residents, acknowledged that the occupants of the facility have experienced much discomfort, but that this will change.The Amerindian residence was established in 1976, with the aim of providing accommodation to hinterland students pursuing higher levels of education that were not available in the hinterland.Over the years, the purpose of the facility has evolved. Now a significant number of persons accommodated are patients, including high risk expectant mothers from hinterland communities who have been referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. There are also persons accompanying them.During her engagement with the residents, Minister Garrido-Lowe also updated them on the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme. A tentative date for the programme’s roll-out in Kamarang has been set for April 25.Meanwhile, Minister Hastings-Williams also updated the residents on Government’s 2016 plans for the region and the activities that will be held in celebration of Guyana’s 50th?Independence Anniversary.Minister Hastings-Williams assured the residents that their government has “started to work. It is not easy, because we inherited a broken system…we had to take time to get things back into order… but we see it as a challenge and we are working towards correcting and putting things in place so that we can continue to develop our beautiful land,” she told the residents.She advised that throughout the length and breadth of Guyana there will be activities to celebrate the 50th?Independence anniversary.Residents were also advised about the Jubilee grant that is available to the Indigenous communities through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, to fund sustainable green projects in their communities.The Minister also donated a quantity of sports gear and educational materials and tools including books and pens to the community. The items were donated to the Ministry of Communities by the “We Care Foundation”, an Arkansas (United States of America)-based foundation, dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of children.

The trial of three former Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard ranks,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, charged with the murder of a young Bartica gold dealer, will continue on Tuesday at the Suddie High Court in Essequibo before Justice Franklyn Holder.The trial, which began almost two weeks ago, is now hearing a second voir dire (trial within a trial) to determine the admissibility of caution statements allegedly made by the number two accused,Cheap Jerseys, Delon Gordon.The three accused Sherwin Harte, the number one accused; Delon Gordon, number two and Deon Greenidge; are charged with the August 2009 murder of Dweive Kant Ramdass which took place at Caiman Hole, East Bank, Essequibo. The three accused are being represented by Attorney at Law Peter Hugh.Kaieteur News was told that several other witnesses will continue to give evidence when the matter resumes on Tuesday.The two former army ranks were manning the Coast Guard RC 12 motor boat in the Essequibo River, when they allegedly confronted Ramdass in a boat at the Parika Stelling.The soldiers allegedly forced him into their boat and took him to another location in the river where they relieved him of $17M in cash which he was carrying in a box to Bartica for his employer, who operated a gold and diamond business in the city.The prosecution is trying to prove that the three soldiers strangled Ramdass,Adidas NHL Jerseys China, took the money he was carrying and threw his body overboard in the vicinity of Bonasika Creek.? They will argue that after murdering Ramdass, the three accused returned to the Parika Stelling, where one of their female accomplices was waiting for them.She is the sister of one of the officers and was reportedly given $5.7M in cash to hold. Prosecutor Judith Gildharie-Mursalin is representing the state.According to reports,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, another portion of the money was recovered by the police during a roadblock exercise. The men were committed to stand trial in the High Court in 2011, by Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin following an 18-month Preliminary Inquiry at the Vreed en Hoop Magistrate’s Court.Attorney at Law Khemraj Ramjattan,wholesale nfl jerseys, who was assigned to the matter as Special Prosecutor, had led a total of 14 witnesses to give evidence. The witnesses included persons who saw when the Coast Guard ranks took Ramdass out of the boat,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, and when they returned to the boat without him, but with a canister that he was carrying.