Government of Dominica signed a contract for constructing Multipurpose Centre and Emergency Shelter to provide a safe shelter to the citizens during any natural calamities. The nation will build a state-of-the-art in Kalinago Territory.
Reportedly, the project is funded by the Canadian government through the Caribbean Development Bank that aims at providing the citizens with a safer shelter during the times of natural calamities such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
Dominica, the nature isle of Caribbean signed the contract and said that the nation was vulnerable to natural disasters such as storms and hurricanes with which the construction of emergency shelters for the citizens was an imperative that the government could not overlook.
According to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit the centre will not only be constructed at the place where the citizens can take shelter during the challenging times but it will be a centre from where government officials will be developing operational plans, manuals and engage in gathering the knowledge and skills that are needed during emergencies.
PM Skerrit stated that this will be an ultra-modern facility which will have 125 beds with all essential medical facilities that can be used by the citizens during emergencies. However, the centre will also have house washrooms, kitchen offices, library, computer room and dining areas where the citizens can take shelter for a couple of days.
He added that the centre will play a crucial role in saving lives during the state of emergency. The building is being constructed with the purpose of having efficient lighting systems, rainwater harvesting and natural ventilation to support life during emergencies.
Prime Minister said that the centre was designed in such a way that it remains operational during and even after any disaster that might strike Dominica in the future. Moreover, people will be able to get immediate medical assistance during the trial times. They will also be able to live here for a couple of days and survive any natural disaster in future.
The emergency shelter will also have power backups to deal with any outages during the natural disasters. Besides this, there will be an ample water storage facility that can be used by a large number of people who might take shelter in these structures during natural disasters.
Notably, the Government employees are engaged in dealing with the aftermath of any natural disaster which will also be able to use the centre as their base from where they can reach out the affected individuals in the region and can run rescue operations. The local residents will also be able to use the centre as a hub for community engagements where they can socialize and hold public events during non-emergency times.
The federation is also planning to use the building as a skill development centre where people from the nearby community can come and learn various skills through organised training and awareness camps at the centre, in order to taught them how to deal with the emergency situations.
PM Skerrit said that the Dominica is focused on developing infrastructure in the Kalinago Territory which can be used by the local residents especially during the emergencies.
Considering this, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit extended his gratitude to the Canadian Government and the Caribbean Development Bank. Both of them has partnered with the Government of Dominica for this ambitious project that will save the lives of thousands of people during any crisis.
He mentioned that the funding and the technical support was provided to the Government of Dominica by the Government of Canada and the Caribbean Development Bank which were imperative for the completion of the project. They also decided to engage local contractors and community members in the construction of the centre.
Besides providing a sense of increased safety to the local citizens, the project will play a crucial role in community development, economic empowerment and promoting sustainable practices in Kalinago Territory.