The water crisis generates complications in the population of the Uruguayan metropolitan area and unleashed a dramatic situation in Montevideo, where the reserve days are numbered and in the Severino Pass dam is left over less than 6% of the total level, amid the increase in the salinity of the OSE supply.
The management of the crisis went through several stages and the government carried out different measures to alleviate a problem on which President Luis Lacalle Pou went from saying two weeks ago that water “is guaranteed” to point out that the situation “is rapidly becoming an emergency”, as he stated last Friday, anticipating that there will be a meeting this monday to take action on the matter.
When referring to complications with the OSE service, the mayor of Maldonado, Enrique Antía, He questioned the initial passivity in the face of a situation that he considered to have been “for three years” and went further by pointing out: “The drought did not matter to anyone until there was a lack of water in Montevideo.”
Along the same lines, Antía pointed out that during this period, “billions of dollars”. In addition, he regretted that “in the country they realize the lack of water only now, when it begins to hit their taps”, in the midst of the measures carried out by the Executive to deal with the water emergency.
Manini Ríos asked to “implement a State policy”
At the same time, the senator and leader of Cabildo Abierto (CA), Guido Manini Ríos, He recalled that in 2015 “there was a dry spell” and the Army drew up a plan. However, the initiative did not advance. “It was left there, because it rained and no one else remembered”, express. For this reason, he stressed that the government must “implement a State policy that ensures the availability of water” and asked “to provide for it when we are not in the middle of the dry season.”
In this regard, he criticized the lack of foresight by the administrations and pointed out: “If measures were taken, the plan for dams would be made throughout the country, in addition to providing water for cattle to drink… I think that that plan for several years once and for all it has to start to be implemented”.
Bouvier said that the water “is not potable, but it is drinkable”
While, the environment minister, Roberto Bouvier, referred to the supply of OSE during the increase in salinity and considered that the water “it is not drinkable”, but he clarified that “it is drinkable and consumable.” When trying to explain the curious phrase, he explained that “there is a very strict, very professional definition that the Minister of Public Health (Karina Rando)”.
“Water is not drinkable in the perfect definition of potability, which are indicators, but it complies with strict measurements,” he insisted in a dialogue with Radio Montecarlo. And he indicated that “water is drinkable and consumable, since that is another definition.” .
Criticism of the opposition to the handling of the water crisis
For their part, the opposition questioned the government’s handling of the drought and the lack of measures that represent solutions. Among the criticisms of the management, representatives of the Broad Front (FA) spoke of “a denialist management”, lack of investment and even “a world of failures”.
Caroline Cosse
Photo: @CosseCarolina
One of the main criticisms was the Mayor of Montevideo, Carolina Cosse, who considered that “There has not been a good management of the crisis” and cataloged the attitude of the Lacalle Pou administration as “somewhat denialist.” For the departmental head “we should have acted and, above all, informed”.
On this point, Cosse noted: “We found out about the problem through the tap, because the water came out saltier than normal.” It was from there that they measured the quality of the water. “The national government did not publish. The lack of transparency It has nothing to do with climate change, but with facing a crisis, with reality,” he criticized.
Yamandú Orsi asked “not to haggle for resources”
While, the mayor of Canelones, Yamandú Orsi, I consider that “there was a lack of investments” and indicated that concepts such as restriction and savings “are not convenient”, clarifying that “It is not a financial issue, it is access to basic goods.” For this reason, he asked “not to haggle for resources.”
“We are paying the consequences of not making the investments or reducing the level of investments,” said Orsi, who admitted anyway: “We will all have some share of responsibility.”
“You can see the lack of foresight of a government adrift,” accused Fernando Pereira
To its turn, the president of the FA, Fernando Pereira, He questioned the “lack of foresight of a government adrift.” When delving into this concept, he graphed: “If they agreed with the possibility of making a connection between the San José river and the Santa Lucía and that decision was not made, you can already see the lack of foresight that a government has adrift “.
He questioned the change from potable water to “drinkable” and noted: “It is a world of failures, which the Uruguayans later pay for.” In addition, he regretted that people must pay “the same OSE rate because the cost has not been lowered and they also have to buy bottled water.”
Mujica was self-critical and admitted: “We fell asleep”
Finally, Former President José “Pepe” Mujica He referred to the issue and did not lack self-criticism. “We fell asleep,” admitted the FA referent and added: “I think that this water we should have faced it much sooner. It is my personal opinion, I bear mine, let others bear theirs”.
When explaining his feelings, he admitted that “when we talk about the budget, we are pulling a blanket from one side to the other and everyone disputes it and sometimes we mistake the priorities and we trust ourselves.” That’s why he asked address conflict in the long term: “The problem is that we don’t forget once the rain passes, that is the eternal problem.”
Source: Ambito
