Residents living in several villages along the East Bank Berbice expressed their frustration on Tuesday at having discoloured water flowing through their pipelines and they travelled over five miles to picket the local offices of Guyana Water Inc (GWI), in New Amsterdam.
GWI Divisional Manager Jim Ramjug, speaking to the protestors, advised them that the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Van-West Charles will be visiting Brothers Village today to address their concerns.
The group of over twenty five persons, consisted mainly of women who armed themselves with bottles of discoloured water, placards and recent water bills and voiced their disgust over the quality of water and the increased tariff attached .
The gathering, standing in the midday sun, shouted ‘we nah want meter we want yearly bill’, ‘dutty water fo increased money’, ‘ the water of the red sea’, and got support from passers-by, who also complained about the quality of service by the utility company.
Some of the women said that although they have to pay the monthly bills which have exceeded their budgets, they have to purchase purified water.
Further, complaints were raised about rashes and gastrointestinal-related sicknesses .
Eighty-five-year-old Sugrim Chand called Chinee, the oldest protestor said a meter was affixed to pipelines belonging to residents of Brothers, Friends, Rotterdam, Enfield, Longsdale and Sisters Villages, around October last year. He noted that residents had initially welcomed the gesture but were horrified afterwards when rusty water flowed from the pipelines.
The pensioner, who is appealing to have the water subsidy restored to the elderly, said the water would flow for hours before it runs clear. The discoloured water isn’t consumed but is being registered by the meter and a subsequent bill is issued way beyond the consumer’s budget, he posited.
