radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Normally Woodland residents brace for floods but now at the height of the dry season the community, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Siparia Regional Corporation, is suffering for water.
Forced to pay as much as $800 for a truck borne supply, the residents who are mainly farmers, business operators and livestock owners are calling on the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to provide them with water just once per week to fill their empty tanks, barrels and buckets.
The corporation, which provides a truck borne supply to schools, health centres, and areas which do not have a pipe-borne supply, has been crippled after High Court Marshals levied on the corporation Tuesday, seizing five vehicles including its only functioning water tender.
Even though Woodland residents have a pipe-borne supply, they sometimes depend on their councillor Doodnath Maryhoo to organise truck-borne water for them.
Standing outside a car wash, which was closed down because of the water crisis, residents of Ramcharan Trace complained that since the year started they received pipe-borne water only four times.
Ian Ramlochan, a livestock owner, was seen feeding his kid (baby goat) from a water bottle.
“It is very hot and the animals don’t even have water to drink. Normally during the rainy season the Woodland areas are flooded but because we live in the highest areas of the community we hardly get water because the pressure in the lines are too low to reach up here,” Ramlochan explained.
Doubles vendor Ramsook Barbadeen said he was not turning a profit because he was forced to buy water every week.
“In my business, I need water every day. I have to fork out $800 to buy a tank of water. It is really unfair to us. We want WASA to lock off all the areas and send the water up here just once for the week. If we get water just once, we will make that do. We are not asking for much,” Barbadeen begged.
Wendy Barbadeen said she has been calling WASA every day to make requests for water.
“They are giving people special treatment. Some areas get a truck borne supply but we don’t. We have water lines a long time in this area but for some reason the water does not reach us,” Wendy said. Dhanwattie Harry was seen walking down the street towards a neighbour’s house holding buckets.
When contacted WASA’s communications manager Daniel Plenty said he will investigate the residents’ complaints and issue a response later.
Mayrhoo said the corporation hires contractors to provide water to communities which do not have a pipe-borne supply.
“This has been a problem since I became the councillor in 2003. I’ve been in constant contact with WASA. They said there is no scheduled supply for water here and they have to redo a schedule. There is no truck borne supply in WASA right now because WASA has no contractors. I don’t know what they expect the people to do if they have no water,” Mayrhoo said.
He explained that other areas including San Francique and Saltmine Trace in Fyzabad are also facing a water crisis.