Farmers return to court despite assurances by WASA

FOUR Aranguez farmers who were charged with illegally extracting water without a license are still before the courts despite assurances by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) that they will no longer pursue legal action against farmers who were charged with illegal extraction of water for their crops.

The four - Ramlal Moonilal, Ishwar Singh, Ted Rampersad and Teemal Ramesh – returned to the Port of Spain Magistrates Court this morning on charges that they, on May 13, at Aranguez, “without licence, abstract water from a water course to water plants, contrary to section 44:5 of the Water and Sewerage Act 54:40.”

They were told to return to court on August 5, when Magistrate Sanara Toon-McQuilkin is likely to set a trial date.

The four first appeared in court on May 22, and hours after they pleaded not-guilty, WASA said it had ceased legal action against the farmers.

At today’s hearing, Toon-McQuilkin was told by the police prosecutor that the company intended to take a particular course of action but needed advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

A legal representative from WASA, who was also in court, could not say much time was needed, prompting the magistrate to say she did not intend to sit back and wait.

She ordered the prosecution to provide the second summary of evidence they said they intended to file in the matter by July 3 and will put the matter to August for case management at which time she will set a trial date if needed.

“It is unfair for them (the farmers) to come to court multiple times if the company intends to take a particular course,” she advised.

In its statement on May 22, WASA said it was returning all the seized pumps to the farmers.

WASA also said it recognised the efforts by farmers to obtain abstraction licences to pump water from water courses for irrigation purposes.

Since the process began, over 300 farmers applied to the Water Resources Agency for licenses and encouraged farmers who were abstracting water without authorisation to ensure they wereregistered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and apply at its Water Resources Agency for license to permit the sanitary use of such water. The Authority reserves the right to resume enforcement activities as authorised by law,

The farmers were represented by attorney Stefan Ramkissoon.