Uruguay faces mobilizations due to water shortage crisis

After the Government decided to increase the concentration of chloride and sodium in tap water in the face of the water crisis plaguing the country, the Uruguayan trade union movement called on the population to demonstrate in defense of the vital liquid.

Uruguay’s workers’ union, the PIT-CNT, is on “alert given the extreme seriousness of the water crisis” and called on the public to mobilize in water defense on May 24.

They also denounce the “lack of information on the part of the Executive Power”.

The initiative comes after dozens of Uruguayans demonstrated for several consecutive days against the decision adopted by the board of directors of the state company Obras Sanitarias del Estado (OSE) – responsible for the supply of running water in the country – which implied an increase in the salinity of the drinking water in Montevideo and the metropolitan area.

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Under slogans such as “It’s not drought, it’s looting”, the rallies took place at several strategic points in Montevideo: the Ministry of Public Health, the Executive Tower (seat of the Executive Branch), the Legislative Palace (seat of the Legislative Branch) and in front of the OSE facilities, where they demanded the dismissal of its directive.

The demonstrators took a stand against the commercialization of water, and demanded the subsidy of the vital liquid for hospitals and educational centers, reported local media La Diaria.

The street blockades will continue if there is no response from the authorities, warned the self-organized demonstrators.

From the single union central, they expressed that the Government must provide answers to the population with transparency on the possible scenarios that may arise when the reserves of fresh water destined for consumption are exhausted.

The movement also expects the Executive to report on possible “structural solutions”.

The president of the Federation of OSE Officials (FFOSE), Federico Kreimerman, assured that “the little fresh water left in the supplies is running out,” a statement published by the PIT-CNT reports.

Due to the shortage of rain and the decrease in the freshwater reserve of the Paso Severino reservoir in the south-central department of Florida, OSE increased certain parameters of the tap water distributed in Montevideo and the metropolitan area.

The agency increased chloride from 450 to 750 milligrams per liter and sodium from 280 to 440 milligrams, which caused concern among Uruguayans.

The alteration in the composition of drinking water caused the Honorary Commission for Cardiovascular Health to warn that salinity would increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular problems in the most compromised population.

According to medical recommendations, the measure brought about political discussions in the country regarding applying subsidies by OSE, which the company is considering applying for vulnerable sectors and those with hypertension.

With information from Sputnik

News Uruguay, English news Uruguay, Uruguay’s water crisis