‘Don’t politicise water crisis!’

OPPOSITION Senator Wade Mark asked if the Government was discriminating against south and central Trinidad in its water supply, but Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte said “no” and asked everyone not to play politics over the country’s very real water crisis.

The Senate yesterday debated the country’s water shortage under Definite Matters Of Urgent Public Importance. In his motion, Mark said citizens are paying $500-$1,000 for a truckload of water, privately supplied. He alleged the Government hailed failure to prepare beforehand for this dry spell by drilling wells.

Scoffing at calls to save water, he said, “How can you conserve water when there is no water?” He asked if geographical discrimination exists in the supply of water in TT today, noting, “You are hardly getting complaints from north and west Trinidad.”

Mark hit WASA’s supply to south Trinidad, saying, “They are supplying them at 12 midnight, as if they are manicou people. Some people have not had water six months, three months, two months.” Lamenting an erratic water supply to south and central Trinidad, he urged that the whole country including north Trinidad be put on a schedule.

“We have to do something. Declare a state of emergency to ensure south and central Trinidad gets its share of water. I call on the Government to take action before it is too late.”

Le Hunte, in reply, said “We are in a crisis situation. I’m asking all citizens to conserve water.” Saying he nightly gets calls from MPs, he said, “Let’s not politicise it.”

Saying he and his relatives were from south Trinidad, he said, “There was no discrimination. There were technical issues that needed to be dealt with and are being dealt with. This Government inherited a lemon.”

Alluding to the former regime’s $1 billion failed Beetham waste water project, he said that sum could have funded the upgrade of the country’s water supply pipelines, half of which were 75 years old.

Le Hunte said TT’s water situation was now worse than expected, some dams being 20 per cent below expectation, and with a storage capacity is only seven per cent of ideal.

However by the weekend, some 46 wells will be cleaned and rehabilitated, while a 60 per cent rise in truck-borne deliveries will soon see 41 water trucks operating. Some areas in north Trinidad don’t get water as they lack pipes, but this is to be remedied.