Padarath: I will address water woes

Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath says he has been meeting with the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to address challenges in the efficiency of water distribution.

“One of the issues I spoke continuously about while being in opposition was the issue of schedules.

"While WASA produced schedules, no one was holding them accountable in terms of whether people were actually receiving water in their taps,” he told Newsday on May 12.

He said he has met with personnel responsible for various distribution centres and dams to ensure schedules are met.

He also said schedule revisions are underway to remedy the issues of irregular supply in areas that can go weeks without water.

“We are attempting to rotate the distribution of water in some of these areas because it cannot be that some parts of the country get a 24/7 supply of water while some get none at all.”

Padarath said he has also met with the National Maintenance Training and Security Company (MTS) to address school repairs and construction – issues he says are high on his priority list.

He said he also plans to meet with TSTT and the Regulated Industries Commission.

“I don’t intend to stay in the ivory tower of the ministry.

"I intend to go to the boardrooms where he decisions are being made, where it really impacts on the day-to-day running of the company and the lives of citizens.”