Letter of the Day | Water crisis shows lack of foresight

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I must register that I am totally appalled by the lack of foresight and future planning in this country. This was revealed to us on Monday when National Water Commission (NWC) workers staged a nationwide strike that resulted in lock-offs for many customers of the NWC. As such, it was reported widely across official news outlets and social media that schools had to close early and many residents are wary of going another day without the most essential commodity.

However, I find it quite embarrassing that in the country dubbed ‘land of wood and water,’ a problem surfaces and there is almost a crisis in our schools, as many have announced that their doors will be closed today because of the unavailability of water. In a country where industrial action in the form of strikes and protests have become a natural expectation, plans must be executed to prevent any major shortfall or crisis when any of these activities manifest itself. There are situations when the public would have to just hope for the best and each person do his or her best, but in a situation such as water lock-offs, which can also come as a result of droughts and damage to critical equipment that brings the commodity through our pipes, there must be forward planning.

I therefore submit that all schools should have sufficient water supply in storage for a maximum of three days. As a matter of fact, all public institutions that host a large number of individuals on a daily basis should have a certain amount of water stored for eventualities like any mentioned above. Schools in particular should not be closed because of a lock-off in water for a day or two, that indicates lack of planning and foresight by school administrators and it is a common trait among leaders in this country at every level. Many manifestations of problems in this country could be avoided or curtailed with proper foresight and planning, and I do trust that school administrators are observing and will put tanks and the necessary resources together to keep school going on a daily basis.

Our children have lost many contact time from the two years of lockdowns from the coronavirus. It is therefore incumbent on our school administrators to do all they can to keep the doors of formal knowledge and learning open to our children, particularly those who do not have the resources for online learning and engagement.

OMAR RYAN