Government Begins Emergency Water Rationing In Venezuela Amid Drought

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/08/water-rationing-venezuela_n_5288748.html

As the country's dry season extends longer than normal, the water level at one of the three reservoirs ringing Caracas has fallen to near record lows. That prompted authorities on Wednesday to begin implementing a rationing plan that will leave some of the capital's 6 million people without water for as many as three days a week.

The government said the emergency plan is needed to confront a severe drought. They don't expect water at the Lagartijo reservoir to return to normal levels until August or September.

But opponents of the socialist government said President Nicolas Maduro and not mother nature is to blame.

Carlos Ocariz, mayor of the capital's Sucre district, said there hasn't been a single reservoir built during 15 years of socialist rule. Instead of waiting for storage ponds to dry, the government should have implemented a less burdensome, water-saving plan months ago, he said.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Thanks for the op.

There was another, more cryptic post a bit ago about Venezuelan hospitals going without water, but the link led to a non-English site.

So has the government announced any plans to add more reservoirs, anyone know?

[hlthe2b]

2. +++ That other post gave no information on the drought or why hospitals would be going without

water....

No information other than a Spanish language link.....

Irritating, but more to the point--why would someone post a thread like that?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. Got me, don't know what the site stance on foreign language posting is.

I don't particularly mind such, but it's not useful for me since I don't read or speak Spanish beyond menu words.

[FrodosPet]

7. They are not perfect, but there are translating web sites

Try http://translate.google.com - it is "broken" English, but usually useful.

[Mika]

4. OP attempt at slamming the Ven gov't.

Of course, the Chavistas caused the drought too.

[Bacchus4.0]

5. no, they are unprepared to face crisis because of the ineptitude of the government

See what happens when you have the Cuban gov run your country.

A simple solution would have been to dredge the existing resevoirs to increase capacity. This can be done periodically. Did the chavista government do this? Remember this is the government that builds housing projects is remote areas without considering whether or not there is a water supply.

[Bacchus4.0]

6. I'd be interested in hearing why the patients have to provide their own water n/t