Like many Guyanese, I prefer to live in Guyana. This is home and no matter where in the world one travels there will never be a place like home. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to live in Guyana. Our failures are glaring and the fact that for decades we have sat, and accepted mediocrity as the standard is telling about how we value ourselves as a nation.
This is a stressful place to be. One where corruption is blatant and one where many people are barely surviving because they are being kept in poverty with nothing being done to empower or enrich them. The stress affects our quality of life. I would imagine that the number of Guyanese affected by illnesses like hypertension is growing. According to a report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in 2015 the prevalence of high blood pressure in people ages 18 and over was 23.1%. I would imagine that that figure is higher now because of the stressful environment in which we exist, the poor diet of many Guyanese, alcohol, drug abuse and other issues crippling many of our people.
In a year like 2024, with all the technological advancements in our world, our oil discoveries and the grand dreams being sold of building a Guyana-Dubai, we are still grappling with issues like blackout and a water crisis.
Having a water crisis in 2024 induces unnecessary stress for the Guyanese people. There is no excuse for what has been coming through the pipes for the last few weeks. What the Guyana Water Incorporated has shown us is incompetence. In what nation should the water coming through the pipes vary from mauby colour to black coffee. In what country must the water have a stench to the point one must add bleach to feel a little safe using it. But the fact is, I do not feel safe having to use the water that has been coming through the pipes for weeks. The smelly, discoloured mess is what people are expected to bathe and shower with, do their laundry, wash their dishes and I would imagine some people who cannot afford to buy drinking water, also drink it.
The Guyana Water Incorporated reported that high levels of turbidity and sediment in the Shelter Belt intake have resulted in what we are experiencing. This is not a new issue, however. For months the water coming through the pipes has at times been questionable. However, within the last few weeks it has worsened. There is always an excuse in response to the frustration expressed by the Guyanese people. The rain, the sun, the moon, the stars, birds, rats, and even jumbies are often blamed for our issues instead of the incompetent ones we place in positions of power.
One must wonder if the water that we have been receiving will result in health issues. I think about the people who have no choice but to drink it. I imagine that they would boil it, but we the people still must wash our bodies with it. Water borne infections exist. Typhoid fever, giardia, cholera, salmonella, hepatitis A, dysentery, and Escherichia Coli (E. coli) are the most common. A few years ago, a friend told me that a relative of hers was told by a doctor that a health issue she was experiencing was because of the water she was washing her body with. Are we supposed to feel confident that no harm will come to us with what has been coming through the pipes?
It is hard to feel clean after bathing or showering when the water is discoloured and has a stench. Our laundry is being stained. The Guyana Water Incorporated is not going to buy us new clothes damaged from the water they are providing us. If we get sick, they are not going to pay our medical bills. This is Guyana-Dubai 2024, with a trillion dollar budget, billion and million dollar contracts to the chosen, where the family and friends enriching movements are thriving and there are new bird monuments, new hotels, and new roads every other day. Yet, water resembling that of sewage is coming through our pipes. We might be better off taking a swim in our rivers or going for a dip in the creeks.
I often wonder how other countries can successfully keep their lights on and their water running and clean. These miracles seemed to have missed Guyana. Is it that all the people who could have solved these problems by now are dead? Is it that they migrated? Or is it that they were replaced by the incompetent who are clueless about permanently solving these issues?
The bills for these poor services are never late, however. We are threatened with disconnection if we fail to pay. Our water bills have increased over the last few years. One is expected to pay even when what is coming through the pipes is malodorous and discoloured. Seriously, are we expected to pay for the water that we have been receiving over the last few weeks? The water should be free until the issues are resolved.
It is not just that the water is discoloured and foul-smelling, but the pressure is also low. Some days the water pressure is so low that there is hardly any water coming through the pipes. Some nights the water cuts off. It is frustrating. One makes reports to Guyana Water Incorporated, they promise to fix it, give you reference numbers, but your problem is not solved.
I understand that there are hardworking people at the Guyana Water Incorporated. I understand that some of them must also be frustrated that they are constantly bombarded with questions and complaints about the poor service that is being provided to the Guyanese people. They issued an apology for what we have been experiencing. But how long must the Guyanese people listen to apologies and excuses? These are not new issues. These are old issues that are worsening with time.
Water is essential to life. We the Guyanese people deserve clean, safe water. We deserve value for our money. We should not be grappling with discoloured malodorous water, low water pressure or no water at all. We are sick and tired of apologies, excuses and promises.
