The government plans to install two new filters at Amelia’s Ward to improve water quality in Linden, as the rapidly developing town faces growing demand for reliable basic services.
Director General at the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation Alfonso De Armas announced the planned intervention on Wednesday during a Cabinet outreach in Linden, following a tour of the town’s water treatment facilities.
The tour, he said, highlighted problems that needed to be addressed, with the condition of some facilities raising concerns about the quality of water being supplied to residents.
“I have to say I’m disappointed. And I expect there to be quite a few complaints about the water,” De Armas told residents.
Against that backdrop, he said the ministry was already taking steps to improve the situation, including the installation of two new filters at Amelia’s Ward.
The filters are expected to “vastly upgrade” the quality of water supplied to residents, he said.
De Armas said improving the water supply was particularly important as Linden continues to see wider infrastructure and economic development.
“Development means nothing without clean potable water and reliable electricity,” he said, adding that the benefits of development would be undermined if residents did not have dependable essential services.
“All of that development is all for naught if that doesn’t happen,” he added.
The planned water upgrades form part of a broader government effort to identify utility problems through community outreach, De Armas said.
Complaints, suggestions and ideas raised by residents are entered into a system that allows President Irfaan Ali to review concerns following each outreach and direct them to the relevant ministry or agency.
De Armas said the process was intended to give government agencies a clearer understanding of the challenges facing residents and ensure that issues raised in communities are followed up by the appropriate authorities.
