The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is back to full capacity in Tobago following acts of vandalism to its facilities last Friday.
Confirmation came from Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, who revealed that several persons were held for the incident.
He condemned the act in an interview with the media in El Socorro on Tuesday.
“The Chief Secretary described it as terrorism. I want to endorse that. I want to also say that I believe it was an act of treason for persons to commit these sort of acts against the State apparatus.”
Minister Padarath revealed that an employee of the Water and Sewerage Authority was among nine persons arrested in connection with the incident.
“Those persons, I am advised, are resident in Tobago, and, therefore, they too have households, they have mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, etc., who utilise water on a daily basis.”
Minister Padarath said discussions have already started with the Attorney General for stricter penalties within the WASA Act.
“But I have spoken to the Honourable Attorney General that a lot of our fines regarding the WASA Act are outdated, and therefore those are things that we need to look at. Apart from possible jail time, possibly taking it through, ventilating it through the courts. We also have to look at the issue of fines. It cannot that persons are stealing water from WASA and the fines are $275. A number of those things, a suite of legislation, will come.”
Minister Padarath added that as of Tuesday morning, all vandalised facilities were back to functioning at full capacity.
He noted that discussions are ongoing with WASA regarding security at its facilities. The issue of security at government facilities will also be discussed at the Cabinet level this week.
On Saturday, March 28th, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Farley Augustine revealed that the Arnos Vale Well #4, Bacolet Well #3, Claude Noel Highway Well, Bloody Bay Water Tank and Bloody Bay Well #1 were vandalised, resulting in no pipe-borne water supply to several communities.
Police are continuing their investigations.