THE Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics is aware of the vulnerability of certain areas and has been working to upgrade and strengthen sea defences throughout the coastal belt, Minister with the portfolio, Mr. Anthony Xavier said recently.

Speaking on the weekly Guyana Television Broadcasting Company (GTV) programme ‘Answers’ on Saturday, January 26, 2002, he said the Ministry is well acquainted with the dangers posed and is moving to make areas on the coast safer.

Xavier was being interviewed by Mr. Neil Marks of ‘Guyana Chronicle’ and Mr. Oscar P. Clarke of ‘Stabroek News’, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

The Minister said most affected communities, on East Coast and West Bank Demerara, are targeted for close watch.

The Ministry has been monitoring the situation continuously, so as to be able to guard against possible breaches, Xavier assured.

He said there has been no major breach during the past year, except at Buxton, where sections of the seawall collapsed in high tide and the Ministry responded quickly to avert any damage or loss within the community.

Minister Xavier said his Ministry is approaching international agencies for funding to do remedial works and has been stockpiling materials for speedy response to emergencies.

Shore management is also ongoing and he intends to seek Dutch Government assistance for it.

The latest undertakings by his Ministry were at Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara and Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, with financing from the Guyana Government and Inter-American Development Bank.

At Stanleytown, 200 metres were restored at a cost of $120M and similar work is in progress on another 90 metres, estimated to entail further $47M expenditure.

Materials are currently being gathered to resume at Vergenoegen shortly, with an estimate of $179M for the construction of 330 metres, Xavier disclosed.