Minister Warns Of Tougher Penalties For Sabotage Of Water Systems
Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath says authorities are intensifying efforts to stop ongoing attacks on WASA facilities and the government will be going to Parliament soon to increase fines for such activity.
According to WASA, between midnight and 4 a.m. on Friday, unknown individuals removed brass couplings from water service connections at 13 locations along Mt. Pleasant Road, Carolina, Springvale, and Carolina Village.
Speaking exclusively to TTT News, Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath said while additional security measures like cameras are being installed, stronger enforcement and collaboration with police are key to stopping the crimes.
He adds that the government is also moving to strengthen legislation, noting that current penalties are outdated and ineffective.
« Just as these persons, when they commit these acts, they too have families that are impacted by the loss of a supply of water in these communities. And therefore we will be taking a zero tolerance approach towards these continued attacks on WASA’s facilities. Very soon we’ll be going to the nation’s Parliament to increase the fines as I indicated a few weeks ago. The WASA Act needs to be updated. It has not been updated in many years, and therefore the fines are very low. »
He said he has spoken to the Attorney General on the matter and hopes to come to Parliament soon.
The Minister said authorities expect progress from police investigations in the coming weeks as efforts continue to bring perpetrators to justice.
He reiterated that there will be zero tolerance moving forward.
« There seems to be an attempt to sabotage WASA’s facilities during the dry season in particular. Whether it is political sabotage or otherwise, it is sabotaging the people of Trinidad and Tobago regardless. Whether they are clad in red, clad in yellow, or clad in any colour, they’re sabotaging the people of Trinidad and Tobago. And therefore, we will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach and work with the TTPS to have this matter resolved. »
