- Joined
- Nov 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,764
Picture this: Your entire community has had no water for the past five months. The local stand pipe was shut off by WASA last year. All residents have been depending on river water to survive, even though it scratches the skin of some children. However, there is now a dead dog contaminating the river. Many are forced to survive on coconut water and frost ice. Children cannot go to school and adults cannot go to work when there is no water to bathe for 5 months. Then you get a WASA bill for $5, 440 despite not receiving any water since December 2014. WASA tells you in order to get a connection, you must pay off the bill. What happens after five months of ignored complaints?
Protests.
Children and adults alike are dragging out bamboo and other flammable debris to set ablaze in the middle of the road at Samuel Cooper Trace, Moruga. The protest quickly spread to the nearby villages of St. Mary's and Fifth Company as well.
Taking advantage of election time, residents are using these protests to demand that their MP, Clifton De Corteau, meet them after ignoring them for the past five months.
Police have warned residents against these protests, as the smoke could prove to be dangerous for children. The residents insist that the lack of sanitary water already posed a danger to the children and these cries have been ignored for too long.
Amputee Yvonne Cooper, 69, is using her pension to help clear her $5, 440 bill as she desperately wants water. She is preparing to pay the bill despite the fact that she has received no water since December 2014 and has been, like the other residents, making do with her own supplies of water such as from the river.
One resident stated that despite being more than a while away, residents had to take turns washing in the river.
As of yesterday, the MP, De Corteau, has expressed his sympathy for the people's situation.
Daniel Plenty, WASA's corporate communications officer, also stated yesterday that a team was now being sent to the area. He claims that the standpipe was not disconnected, but was vandalized and arrangements were being made to fix it.
Plenty also stated that the ten households which did not have a connection could visit WASA?s customer care department to apply for one. He said WASA would also investigate the pensioner?s concerns and find a solution. [Statements taken from ]News | The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper
Residents intend to continue their protests until their concerns are relieved.
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Personally, I think the only reason anything is being done about this is because they started their protests and the media (Guardian) got involved after 5 months of their complaints falling on deaf ears. The MP and WASA are just acting to save face and to look like they are productive now. I don't agree with the health risks that come from fiery protests, but it did get the relevant officials' attention. However, as many of us know, getting a WASA connection is no guarantee that you will have regular running water either. Repairing one stand pipe is not going to fix this blaring community wide problem. WASA needs to clean up their act big time.
Protests.
Children and adults alike are dragging out bamboo and other flammable debris to set ablaze in the middle of the road at Samuel Cooper Trace, Moruga. The protest quickly spread to the nearby villages of St. Mary's and Fifth Company as well.
Taking advantage of election time, residents are using these protests to demand that their MP, Clifton De Corteau, meet them after ignoring them for the past five months.
Police have warned residents against these protests, as the smoke could prove to be dangerous for children. The residents insist that the lack of sanitary water already posed a danger to the children and these cries have been ignored for too long.
Amputee Yvonne Cooper, 69, is using her pension to help clear her $5, 440 bill as she desperately wants water. She is preparing to pay the bill despite the fact that she has received no water since December 2014 and has been, like the other residents, making do with her own supplies of water such as from the river.
One resident stated that despite being more than a while away, residents had to take turns washing in the river.
As of yesterday, the MP, De Corteau, has expressed his sympathy for the people's situation.
Daniel Plenty, WASA's corporate communications officer, also stated yesterday that a team was now being sent to the area. He claims that the standpipe was not disconnected, but was vandalized and arrangements were being made to fix it.
Plenty also stated that the ten households which did not have a connection could visit WASA?s customer care department to apply for one. He said WASA would also investigate the pensioner?s concerns and find a solution. [Statements taken from ]News | The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper
Residents intend to continue their protests until their concerns are relieved.
___
Personally, I think the only reason anything is being done about this is because they started their protests and the media (Guardian) got involved after 5 months of their complaints falling on deaf ears. The MP and WASA are just acting to save face and to look like they are productive now. I don't agree with the health risks that come from fiery protests, but it did get the relevant officials' attention. However, as many of us know, getting a WASA connection is no guarantee that you will have regular running water either. Repairing one stand pipe is not going to fix this blaring community wide problem. WASA needs to clean up their act big time.