Le Hunte: WASA to charge farmers

WASA is expected to prosecute farmers at Aranguez who are irrigating their crops with drain water, said Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte in the House of Representatives yesterday.

Chaguanas West MP Ganga Singh, in an urgent question, had asked the rationale for WASA’s seizure of water pumps from the farmers.

Le Hunte replied, the farmers had been irrigating their crops with drain water which posed a health risk. “This is of grave concern.”

He said officials had acted under the WASA Act to seize three pumps and place people on notice of possible prosecution.

Le Hunte said WASA alone extracts water and anyone else wanting to do so needs a licence. “This matter is before the courts.” He said a pre-action protocol letter had been served.

Singh asked if WASA instead could have just given the farmers a warning.

Le Hunte replied, “The police of WASA were simply doing their job.” Again pressed by Singh, who said the WASA Act requires procedural fairness, Le Hunte said he was very confident the WASA police knew the law and how to lay charges, reiterating that they had to protect against a potential hazard.