Water problem at Block 8, Mon Repos

Dear Editor,
Mr Karan Singh of Guyana Water Inc said he visited West Coast Demerara and saw persons washing vehicles with treated water (KN October 28, 2008). It seems that Mr Singh only sees certain things, he doesn’t see where residents are not getting water.

A number of letters were written to the newspaper about the water situation at Block 8, Mon Repos, but never a response from Guyana Water Inc. Can Mr Singh visit Block 8.

Editor, in 2004, after a petition was sent to the President we were given a connection to Guyana Water Inc mains which had already been laid. Since then we either get no water or very low pressure. We receive water for 3 hours per day; from 5.30 am to 8.30 am one day, then the next day from 3 pm to 6 pm. It takes about four minutes to fill a bucket; you put the bucket to fill up, take a book, read ten pages then go to empty the bucket.
The well is in Block 8 but we get little water, while neighbouring communities getting water from the same well receive water for longer hours and at the 2nd flat level, while we receive a trickle.

Mr Singh talks about wastage; well, many residents leave their taps open with a bucket beneath in the hope of catching some water while they are at work. Many times it overflows by the time they get home – it’s wastage by necessity.
Yours faithfully,
Akbar Khan
Editor’s note
On November 3 Mr Karan Singh said that GWI was struggling to maintain an adequate supply, and in some instances, any supply, of water to various communities across the country because of power outages by GPL. (SN 4.11.08) We will, however, send a copy of this letter to PRO of the water utility, Mr Rawle Aaron, for any comments he might wish to make about this particular locale.