South villages without water for weeks

PEOPLE living in Fyzabad, Cedar Hill, Moruga, Princes Town, Golconda, Diamond Village and Barrackpore have been without water for two weeks.

Many are claiming victimisation by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). Others say there are numerous underground leaks that prevent the water from reaching their taps, but WASA is doing nothing about it.

The Golconda Government Early Childhood Care Centre has been without water since the beginning of the new school term.

A parent who chose to remain anonymous said teachers must use buckets of water from a barrel to flush toilets, and children use water from a bucket to wash their hands at lunchtime. The parent also said the water pump has been broken for many months and this is why the water supply has been cut.

“If the pump is not working, then the water cannot be transferred to the taps and toilets in the school,” the parent said.

Owner of Ramroop’s Welding and Straightening, Arnold Ramroop of Diamond Village, San Fernando, says his work has slowed because of lack of a proper water supply. Water, he said is supplied for three hours aweek and cannot fill his tanks.

Mayaro/Rio Claro MP Rushton Paray said the water crisis continues to cast a cloud over the Mayaro constituency. He said water is a basic human right and all efforts must be made to correct this issue.

“As MP, I will not accept WASA’s excuse around water production and maintenance” he said. “These excuses are lame and outdated.”

He said he has to listen to the complaints of people who have no water for weeks, and he blames the lack of water in Mayaro/Rio Claro on the “visionless politicians and public servants” who are too cowardly to lead their organisations. “I apologise to no one for this statement,” he said. He outlined the issues facing the Mayaro Rio Claro Regional Corporation as having one water truck, and Government having no money to pay additional contractors. WASA, he said, has one truck for 41,000 citizens in his constituency, and government has no money for more trucks.