Georgetown, Guyana — In a late-night move to accelerate the Georgetown Resuscitation Plan, President Dr. Irfaan Ali convened a high-level meeting on Friday with the multi-agency team responsible for modernising the capital’s drainage network and restoring the city’s historic charm. The urgent engagement came as major clean-up operations are set to begin this weekend, starting with the Kingston/Tiger Bay area—one of the plan’s designated priority zones.
The team, established earlier this month, updated the President on its readiness to roll out immediate works, including clearing alleyways and internal passages that have contributed to persistent flooding and urban deterioration. President Ali urged the agencies to “advance a journey of change,” stressing that Georgetown’s decline can no longer be tolerated.
The late-night meeting builds on the President’s September 2025 announcement of the Georgetown City Revival/Resuscitation Plan, unveiled during a nationally televised briefing. At that launch, President Ali declared that Georgetown’s condition—marked by decades of mismanagement, clogged drains, collapsing infrastructure, and decaying heritage buildings—“can no longer be tolerated.” He described the capital as “the life and heart of Guyana” and insisted that the city must reflect the nation’s identity, culture, and transformation.
“We must restore Georgetown to its rightful place as one of the most beautiful cities in the region,” he said at the time, calling for a return to the city’s reputation as the “Garden City” of the Caribbean. He anchored the plan in heritage preservation, green spaces, upgraded drainage, recreational parks, waterfront redevelopment, and architectural restoration. The President also spoke of celebrating the city’s cultural heritage through modern urban design that promotes inclusion and community pride.
At Friday’s session, he expanded on this vision, outlining a transformative approach for Kingston/Tiger Bay—one that integrates urban and green development. Plans include tree planting, landscaped green zones, walking spaces, and recreational areas for families, supported by the installation of specially designed concrete planters for fruit and ornamental trees.
“Our objective is to ensure that children grow up in inspirational settings,” President Ali told the team, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to delivering a cleaner, safer and more beautiful capital.
The Georgetown Resuscitation Plan has been rolling out in phases since consultations began in early November. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has already completed digital mapping of primary, secondary and tertiary drains; identified bottlenecks; and highlighted the need for new pumps, widened outfalls and improved gravity drainage. NDIA officials previously noted that Georgetown’s drainage system, much of it built nearly a century ago, is incapable of handling the city’s growth and increased rainfall patterns—issues that have been repeatedly highlighted in local reporting by DPI, the Guyana Chronicle and other outlets.
Recent community consultations under the plan have focused on neighbourhoods such as Kingston, Alberttown, Queenstown, Liliendaal, Sophia and Cummings Lodge. Residents have been presented with the draft drainage assessments, proposed engineering redesigns, and medium-term strategies for flood mitigation, urban beautification and recreation space development.
Friday’s meeting included Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand and Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal, underscoring the cross-agency nature of the initiative. The multi-agency team also comprises the NDIA, the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and the Mayor & City Council.
The Office of the President later reposted the update, reaffirming that the Georgetown Resuscitation Plan is not simply a clean-up drive, but a structural, long-term transformation agenda aimed at restoring Georgetown’s dignity, preserving its cultural heritage, and returning the city to the beauty and prominence it once enjoyed.