Juarez City.- Members of the Front for the Right to Water protested yesterday morning against the conditions of the drinking water service in the Anapra neighborhood.
The Water Board violates the right of access to water of the inhabitants of the west. We have years with salt water, not suitable for human consumption. Even with the intervention of Human Rights and we continue with the same service”, said Jesús Durón, a member of the group.
Meanwhile, Sergio Nevárez, executive director of the agency, commented that the protest was carried out by “a leadership that wants the Board to give him a discount so he can charge the neighbors. He wants us to give him the receipts. We have tried to approach people directly. He is taking care of his business, but he wants the water for free. He is profiting from the neighbours’ need for water”.
The official explained that there are at least 11 water wells that inject 50 liters per second of water into the area’s network, however, they are not in operation because salty water and minerals unfit for human consumption were detected.
According to Durón, the resolution of the Human Rights Commission obliges the JMAS to introduce a drinking water network and repair the damage, which has not happened in years, he said. He added that the agency has not complied with an agreement with the residents of Anapra to collect only 10 cubic meters of water in the service.
The history of salt water in the drinking water network in Anapra goes back almost 20 years, said dissatisfied residents who protested on Thursday outside the State Government representation.
They accused that to consume water they have to invest in the purchase of jugs.
“They say that they installed drinking water for us, but it is a liquid that cannot be drunk,” reproached Beatriz, another neighbor of the neighborhood.
In addition, the neighbors are suffering because of the saltpeter, since it causes damage to the air conditioning units, vital to withstand the heat in this area, they pointed out.
The settlers demanded that the Municipal Water and Sanitation Board review the quality of the water that it is offering them, since as users they are making their payments in a timely manner and there is no reciprocity on the part of the agency.
