The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has criticised the government amid the water woes Saint Lucia is experiencing during 2024, designated the ‘The Year of Infrastructure.’
Last month, the House of Assembly passed the Appropriations Bill for 2024-2025 under that theme.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre reiterated his commitment to deliver on promises related to infrastructure, tourism, housing, foreign policy, youth and sports development, citizen security, improvements in agricultural systems, and other initiatives.
However, the UWP believes the focus should also be on water.
Choiseul-Saltibus MP Bradley Felix recalled that during the budget debate, he indicated to the government that he thought one of the first areas the administration should have highlighted regarding the Year Of Infrastructure was water infrastructure.
“Water is life,” he asserted.
Felix spoke during an opposition-organised live Facebook panel discussion on Thursday night.
Days earlier, on Monday, the Cabinet of Ministers had declared a water-related emergency for the Island.
“We know that there’s a drought and I really thought the government would have provided more assistance to WASCO,” the opposition MP stated.
He believed the government erred in declaring The Year Of Infrastructure without featuring WASCO prominently.
Earlier this week, the utility suspended all new connections and meter requests north of the island.
The suspension, announced on Monday due to ‘severe dry conditions,’ applies from Millet to Cap Estate and will remain in effect until water levels increase.
Former Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee raised questions regarding the move.
“Do we have a government that cannot manage the country sufficiently that if you are trying to build a house, if you are trying to set up a business that requires a water connection, it means that you cannot be connected? What are you supposed to do with your plans?” Fedee told the round table discussion.
“This is the state our water infrastructure has actually reached in the country. So Bradley is right, this is not just basic, this is absolutely essential,” the former Anse La Raye-Canaries MP stated.
In addition, Fedee called on the government to urgently address this critical component of Saint Lucia’s infrastructure.
The water woes aren’t new,so flambeau try something new!
The UWPs are such a bunch of dimwits. They have absolutely nothing to talk about except to react to any meaningful actions proposed by the government. Have they forgotten that the Caribbean is experiencing a severe drought? And during a drought, any thoughtful government would implement measures to curb wastage.
St. Lucia has only surface water drawn from rivers and streams. We have not invested in drilling for groundwater emanating from aquifers. Desalination is a mammoth project and would be much more expensive than expanding the current watersheds. WASCO, if managed properly should generate sufficient revenue to operate independently of government funds. Mind you, Dr. Anthony forgave Sandel’s water bills during his last term in office costing the country millions of dollars in lost revenue. Both parties are playing footsies with Sandals. I appeal to those UWP lackeys to please bring substance to the debate instead of empty platitudes. Tell me, how is the UWP going to solve the drought problem leading to the current water crisis? How much money did the UWP invest in water projects during its reign of terror?
Firstly ras biko UWP stopped jazz so there wasn’t water shortages bc this has happened before directly after jazz …All the country’s water is gone, …….now in addition u have 350 acre golf course in cap estate wasting precious resources so “ a few rich people can hit a ball with a metal stick”….. an now what about carnivals…. water waste!!! …That’s why resources were pivoted away from jazz fiscally and as well for our water during severe droughts that only will be getting worse as the years pass! Smph
Felix has a very very valid point here. The year of Infrastructure appears to be more of an effort to sensationalise typical government work than anything else. It’s just a so called year to spend endless of money “unstrategically”. As a development Economist, I dare to say that the water sector is in serious serious trouble. Sadly water is life and its scarcity will affect all races, all locations, all political parties, all socio economic classes. This risk together with the unmonitored developments in the water hungry sector of tourism will make us kneel and drink sea water. What is this governments plan for wasco…will it be allowed to operate in a now for now manner? What’s their vision given climate is changing for the worse for the water sector? Again, all that money budgeted unstrategically!!!
Tell Bradley to focus on erecting lamp poles with light along the Fiette Road in Choiseul. People tired of walking in darkness, especially from Zabriko to the Mango Long tree in the bend.
Those guys are pathetic. They are the ones who brought in Cabot with their golf course and had their friend to build hotels on every beach on the island . Did Tropical Trump consulted with Wasco before the Cabot deal . Those cockroaches will remain in opposition for the next 20 years , not even a minimum wage that they enacted when they were in power. No wonder the the people kick them out of power 15 to 2 . When the next general election is called not even Tropical Trump that will win his seat so Bradley when you were in power you did nothing as it relates to water but keep huffing and puffing like billy goat…
Bondieu, now I take UWP for a set of jokers. I lost all my confidence on UWP now. Dominic, as a Guyanese, I thought you were mor intelligent but you prove to be a …..
People on Mondor really laughing at you. Don’t talk for talking sake, St. Lucians are educated not all of us are in the43%.
We don’t want chastanet again.
Bradley I went back to listen to your budget 2024/25 contribution and no where did you mention about the water problems….. Mr.Editor please go take a listen to Bradley April 25th 2024 contribution of 1 hour 04 seconds…….
Don’t come talking about wasco now and when you’re in power, you refuse to address wasco and its issues. Yes wasco is a disgusting company and really raises my blood pressure but what did you do to improve the situation when you and your party were in power?
So UWP wants Pierre to pull water from his magic hat and make it rain? The water problem is both an ecological and man made disaster. And all these so called polish-ticians who for decades did nothing to address the water situation in Saint Lucia. You would think that water security would be the first on the list of priorities but nope …first on the list of priorities are hotels and projects aligned to hotels….a.lot of these polit-lictians have degrees but can’t think…. funny enough the degredation starts with the first 5 letters of degree….their degrees ain’t worth the paper it is printed on….
I think we’ve had enough of these jokers. Where are all the millions your government gave to the, German company for dredging the dam.
Did they remove the silt to ensure we didn’t have that problem.Stop the blaming game,we all know that we’re faced with a drought,no government can cause water to fall from the Sky..
Be real and honest about the crisis, anyway let’s not forget honesty isn’t in the flambeau, DNA.
UWP is just disgusting. They are the ones, when they were in power, who didn’t want to give wasco any money because wasco was not “making a profit” just like they were threatening SALCC because SALCC was not making a profit. As omeone previously mentioned, if y’all were so concerned about WASCO, why didn’t y’all raise the point in the upper and lower houses? Y’all just want to make points on events y’all think will get a rise out of the people. But it na go wok and it na wok now!
Based on several of the comments above I decided to research what was done between 2016 and 2021 in terms of water projects. I observed that the Hill20 Treatment plant and distribution network was expanded. Water was brought to Laborne and Vieux Secrieux. The pipeline network from Mongiraud was upgraded. The Colombette Water Project. The Dennery North Water project. The Vieux Fort and Laborie water improvement projects and a few others. Stop making ignorant statements!
Mwen meme.
Sé flambeau sa la, mem, mem, mem. Bon Dyé! Sé boug sa la pa ni pyes honte. Apwezan yo is palé about dlo? Ek yo vlé blanmé PJP? Bon Dyé! Bam mwen la fòs ek kouway epi sé boug san honte sa la.
I don’t even comment no more when these Yellow Clowns open their mouths…..I don’t get worked up about them too much anymore, as I have stated in the past they are desperately looking for that “Haha” moment and are worst than a drowning man clinging to straw. All over the region they are complaining about drought and water conservation (most islands) so the prime minister is at fault for that ? So if the sun doesn’t shine tomorrow they will blame him too for that. The problem is up north they consume too much and the South have to ration for their cosmopolitan lifestyle…..the stand pipe after you pass Lazarus always running those people always have water. I will always advocate for cession from the north, open the old dam up in Cedar Heights that’s enough to supply VF town and it’s surroundings we have a seaport/airport/hospital/better and more lands, schools and municipalities to sustain ourselves, to hell with them, let them fend for themselves and show passport when they reach Dennery.