00:00Official WASA data, according to Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath,
00:06shows that the Sibaria constituency is the most underserved and under-resourced constituency in the country.
00:13He says thousands sometimes go weeks, even over a month without water,
00:18prompting the creation of four tank farms across the constituency.
00:23At the Clark Rochard Recreation Ground, Tmall Trace, the Govindra Ruknarain Recreation Ground
00:29and one in Moolai Trace, Kwinam Road.
00:32Each tank farm will have 20,000 gallons of water for deployment.
00:39And therefore, we have worked with WASA to ensure that we have the resources available
00:44through the trucks, through the capacity to accept the information coming in in terms of requests.
00:50He says the next constituency to benefit from a similar project has also been severely underserved.
00:57Moruga Tableland, 85 percent of the constituency do not receive water on a timely basis.
01:04Sometimes 85 percent of the constituency at that time were not receiving water for periods of two weeks to a month.
01:13And therefore, the next constituency that will be targeted for these tank farms will be the constituency of Moruga Tableland.
01:19But Minister Padaric says this $2 million project in Separia is just a short-term measure,
01:27and he plans to take a more sustainable idea to Cabinet tomorrow.
01:31For the construction of three desalination plants, one in Mayaro, one in Moruga Tableland, and one in Charlottesville.
01:37After months of negotiating with the IDB and WASA, we determined that we would put these three desalination plants in the three aforementioned areas.
01:51Additionally, in the coming week, he plans to roll out a TSTT hotline to focus on water scheduling concerns.
01:59He says far too many people complain that when they call for an update on water, WASA gives them the water schedule dates,
02:07but it isn't in line with actual delivery time.
02:11We will launch in the week coming a hotline that will be designated to the Ministry of Public Utilities with respect to water scheduling.
02:20We will share that through the media, through the national community, to call into the Ministry of Public Utilities, not to WASA.
02:26So, Public Utilities, the Ministry, the line ministry, will now hold WASA accountable.
02:32That when you put out these schedules and you tell Pinal David that you're receiving water on Monday and Tuesday between these hours,
02:38then we'll be able to test whether or not it's actually happening.
02:42And when it is not happening, then we hold those accountable and we find out what are the challenges in the system.
02:48Cindy Raguba, Tika Singh, TV6 News.
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