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Water shortage is a ‘weapon to punish’ Third District- Hon Fraser RA
For years residents of the district, especially in Sea Cows Bay, have been affected by the lack of water and government has not been able to remedy the situation despite having the capacity to do so with the Biwater plant, which is now owned by Seven Seas Water Incorporated.
Representative and Opposition Leader Hon Julian Fraser RA, who has long been battling the water issue for his district, told the many in attendance that the excuses from government regarding lack of water are simply unacceptable.
According to him, when taking all the facts into consideration, he can only conclude that the lack of water, a much needed resource that defines the progression of a country, is one element in a purposeful plan by the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government to punish the people especially of Sea Cows Bay for voting for him instead of their candidate at the last two general elections.
Hon Fraser said it is documented that the NDP Government has meted out some of the “harshest treatment upon this Third District since taking office in 2011. They have done it to you with inadequate and unreliable water supply, the prolonged road works, their failure to complete the Nibbs Estate sub-division, the uncut bush blocking roads, the ghuts not cleaned for hurricane season, unemployment, high taxes” and a host of other issues.
The lack of water, Hon Fraser said, is an unconscionable act of discriminatory water shortage in the Third District.
He added that government put on a show during the 2015 elections campaign to install pipelines from Meyers to Chalwell but failed to complete the project by failing to install the more important pipeline from Sabbath Hill to Meyers.
Visitors had to bathe @ Nanny Cay
Throughout the August holidays, Hon Fraser it was a constant battle with him between the Ministry of Communications and Works and Water and Sewerage Department to get water to Sea Cows Bay.
He said people visiting friends and families in Sea Cows Bay ended up at Nanny Cay to get a bath.
“This whole issue of water has become a weapon intended to punish you the people of the third district just for electing me. What other reason could there be?”
“It’s true,” a member of the audience softly said.
NDP Gov’t doesn’t care
Hon Fraser recalled that it was in the House of Assembly on September 22, 2016 that he was told by Minister for Communications and Works Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) that Government was no closer to providing water to the areas than they were three months ago. He also said the answers given by the Minister as to works to be executed are a comfort to a layman and not to him.
“There is no way that I can believe that this government actually cares about the people of the district and their water woes.”
During the campaign leading up to 2015 elections, Hon Fraser said he boldly predicted that the NDP Government was not going to fix the issue regarding water because it had no interest in doing so.
“I was right. I had also promised that if you had elected my party this district would have had water within three months and within a year the whole of Tortola would have had water. The capacity is there as with over 3 million gallons of water being produced a day there should be no shortages.”
Gov’t paying for water not produced
“But government allows massive leaks to go unrepaired, bills not sent out and water not even produced but still being paid for.”
The Opposition Leader said for the month of January Government received from Seven Seas forty five million, nine hundred and sixty two thousand (45, 962, 000) gallons of water but paid for seventy one million, three hundred thousand gallons (71,300,000). “A full 25 million 338 thousand gallons never produced by the plant.”
At the same time for the month of January, Hon Fraser said, Government paid Ocean Conversion 72 thousand and 70 dollars to produce eight million, eight hundred and thirty eight thousand gallons of water using the Government owned plant at Baughers Bay.
“This was the case all year from January to August as Government paid Seven Seas a quantity of one hundred and eighty million, seven hundred and forty thousand gallons of water that were never produced no delivered and at the same time pay Ocean Conversion six hundred and seventy one thousand, Seven hundred and forty four dollars to use the Government owned plant at Baughers Bay to produce water….If that is not fleecing of the people, you the taxpayers, tell me what is.”
Road Works
As to the issue of road works, Hon Fraser noted that he has been monitoring the current road works in the district very closely since it started in April 2015 just before the general elections campaign.
He said the works have quite unusually and unnecessarily been prolonged.
According to him, it could only mean that Government is now broke and can’t finish the project as yet.
Many issues discussed
A plethora of topics was discussed at the meeting that saw interaction from the audience, who took a special interest in the topic of independence for the Virgin Islands, Brexit, and “BVI passport”.
Other topics raised were concerning house lots to young people at Nibbs Estate, bush cutting contracts, NHI, drain cleaning, unemployment, tax increases, minimum wage, Financial Services, constitutional advancement, raising of the age of retirement, equipping and supporting the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and victimisation in the public service.
Several persons on the floor offered feedback by way of questions, opinions and other information on the various topics discussed.
Among those in attendance were Virgin Islands Party (VIP) president Carvin Malone, VIP Second District candidate in the 2015 elections Rajah A. Smith, former Fourth District Representative under the Virgin Islands Party Administration Dr Vincent G. Scatliffe, former At Large Representative Keith L. Flax and retired Commissioner of Police Reynell Frazer.
Notably absent was fellow Opposition Member and First District Representative Hon Andrew A. Fahie.
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25 Responses to “Water shortage is a ‘weapon to punish’ Third District- Hon Fraser RA”
NDP politicians treating them two F in the HOA, you really think they will study any possible solution that they will bring. Give me a break. Sometime you really make yourself sounds so retarded.
When the election is approaching, they go to all the alleys to get votes and after the election is over they don't care a dam. Let us be real. This is a small country and we do not need to use aeroplanes to move around. If the ministers cannot do the job, then the premier need sto reshuffle the cabinet and get the work done. Thank you.