Constituents turn on Indarsingh

The competence of Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh is being called into question by his constituents, who are desperate for water. Indarsingh told Newsday his constituents are accusing him of being ineffective as a representative because he cannot deliver a reliable supply.

He said he has been bombarded with calls from residents across the constituency who have not had water for as long as two to three weeks. “I am tired. I have written to the Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte and he did not even have the decency to acknowledge any of my letters,” he said.

He said he has also been in contact with WASA’s CEO, who told him to let his constituents “go on the website and look at the water schedule so they will know what days water will flow in their particular areas.” But Indarsingh said WASA is not keeping to that schedule.

“With all due respect to these office holders, people are struggling. They are out of employment, trying to make ends meet. People who live pay cheque to pay cheque don’t know where they are getting food, they don’t have money to pay an internet bill to go to check WASA’s website.”

He said no one is holding Le Hunte accountable, “yet people are telling me I am doing nothing for them.” Washing one’s hands is said to be among the best ways to stop the spread of covid19, the MP said, so Minister Le Hunte should be at one of government’s daily press briefings to account to the public.

Indarsingh shared dozens of What’sApp messages from constituents suffering from this drought. “SOS no water in Dow Village up to now. Same in Savonetta,” one of the messages said. “Calcutta Rd#2 Freeport, Camden Road. No water since Thursday,” another stated.

Reached by phone, Le Hunte said he had got letters and phone calls from opposition MPs including Dr Roodal Moonilal and Dr Bhoe Tewarie on Tuesday, but none from Indarsingh.

He said Indarsingh could simply call him, identify the problem areas and he would try his best to alleviate the problem.

Le Hunte acknowledged that while there is more water in the system there are challenges which WASA are dealing with individually. “April is the driest month of the year. So we are in the middle of the dry season, in the driest month of the year. “At WASA we have increased our supply of water by almost ten-12 million of gallons of water per day. We are also getting a little extra water from the desalination plant and we have increase the water trucks by 40 per cent.

“We are relooking at the schedules and moving water from places that were getting water six and seven days a week. In redirecting, up to 70 per cent of the population now get water more than three and a half times per week, 20 per cent twice a week and there is about tenper cent which falls below that, and we are concentrating on how to get water to those individuals as much as possible.”