After the questioning of the Ministries of Environment and Health, they will call the OSE board of directors to the room.
Two weeks ago, the Senate voted in favor of calling the ministers of Atmosphere and Health – driven by broad front – to give explanations about the water crisis caused by a historical drought in Uruguay, a call that will be transferred to the directory of the National Administration of State Sanitary Works (OSE).
The Frente Amplio senator, Enrique Rubio, presented the motion for the meeting of the Environment Ministers, Robert Bouvierand that of Public Health, Karina Rando to give explanations about the management of water during the drought since the metropolitan area was experiencing moments of extreme scarcity with the possibility that in a month the drinking water in the capital of the country would end.
During the session where the motion was requested, Rubio explained that “concerned about the problem of crisis management, and about the need to have a abundant and reassuring information”. With the aim of foreseeing possible scenarios, and in the event that it does not rain as OSE is speculating, the senator expressed the need for the questioning of the Ministry of the Environment, but also that of Public Health to find out if the water with greater salinity harms the health of Uruguayans or not.
OSE’s decision was made to make the Bookings Faced with the critical situation of scarcity caused by the drought. This measure had already been taken by the board of the state company at the end of last month, when the proportion of sodium in the fluid increased from 200 milligrams per liter to 280 mg/L, while from chloride they went from 280 mg/L to 450 mg/L. Now, last Thursday, the MSP authorized a new increase in the measures, which went to 400 mg/L and 700 mg/L respectively.
Sayings of Rando and Rouvier
Faced with the scandal caused by the increase in the salinity of the water, the ministers had to go out to give statements on the situation that has the Uruguayan media and citizens in suspense. The health minister had insisted, at first, that the salinity in the water did not affect health. However, from the portfolio they issued a statement where they do not recommend the consumption of OSE water to people hypertensive, with cirrhosis, pregnant, with kidney disease or heart failure.
The Minister of the Environment, for his part, explained that water “it is not drinkable in the perfect definition of potability, which are indicators, but it complies with the strict measurements” but which is “it is drinkable and consumable”.
Source: Ambito
