Frustrated La Grange residents block road over water

Residents of La Grange, Old Road, yesterday took to the streets again to protest their continued water woes this time blocking the public road with tyres and bramble and only ceasing their action after water arrived in the village.

The frustrated residents said they decided to take to the streets once again after five days passed without the trailer that usually brings them water turning up. It was around midday yesterday that they moved onto the streets and even after the Regional Chairman of Region 3, Julius Faerber, met with them they refused to unblock the road. It was around 2:30 pm that three trailers with water arrived in the village after which the villagers unblocked the roadway and scampered to fill their buckets and bottles that were empty for days. The angry residents said they want an end to their water woes and are appealing to the authorities to listen to their pleas.

“Millions of dollars dem spend to put down pipes and we still ent getting water, a don’t understand what is going on,” one resident said yesterday.

It has been over a year since water stopped flowing through their taps. The La Grange well malfunctioned in March last year and since then residents have been without running water. Deadlines had been set for completion of the well, but these were not met. In reports carried in this newspaper, residents had complained of the sloth in the work being done and myriad problems regarding the water distribution process initiated by Guyana Water Inc (GWI), which was done by way of black tanks. Finally, after several delays a decision was taken to dig a new well instead of repairing the old one, which had encountered problems. That process is still ongoing.

Residents of Old Road, La Grange had protested in October last year demanding that the water company look into their concerns. They had stated that the distribution system was in disarray and had been benefiting only a few persons. The timing when the water was delivered was also a cause for concern since residents said that the tractor distributing the water would come at any time of the day resulting in those at work or at school not receiving any. (Gaulbert Sutherland)