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CEO of St Vincent and the Grenadine’s Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CSAWA) Garth Saunders said the authority is working on restoring water supplies and/or supplying water to several residents, even as the La Soufriere volcano erupted again on Tuesday.
The volcano, now producing pyroclastic flows, first erupted on Friday morning and UWI’s Seismic Research Centre said the most recent eruption happened at 6.30 am on Tuesday. Coincidentally, Tuesday was the anniversary of its 1979 eruption.
Since Thursday, scores of residents of the northern part of the island have been evacuating. The area is being called the “red zone,” and dozens still refuse to leave.
During a virtual press conference on Tuesday morning, the country’s prime minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said there had been a shortage of bread owing to bakeries’ water supplies being cut off.
He added, “It is vital that the kitchens for the shelters and people who cook in general. I want us to get a handle on that with the water.”
Saunders said those without water can contact the authority to see what can be done – whether pipe-borne or truck-borne water can be provided. On Tuesday, three water trucks filled with potable water, were part of a consignment of disaster relief items that arrived in St Vincent from Trinidad ant Tobago on the MV Galleons Passage.
He said between Monday and Tuesday, it managed to restore water to the Dallaway and Majorca water systems. He added, “I think we are just up to about 55 to 60 per cent of our island-wide capacity covered…From Layou to Calliaqua.
“But there are pockets along the way that have not yet received because there are challenges in terms of the pressure. The entire line went empty, so we have to gradually fill and pressurise the line, and that is taking some time.”
He said many people with trucks that can transport water have been volunteering to assist or offering their vehicles. He said there are approximately 40 trucks assisting thus far and that it takes around a minute to fill a 100-gallon tank.
Gonsalves also called on Saunders to address various complaints of no garbage collection being done at some of the shelters.
When it comes to the evacuees, there were two available cruise ships to take them to neighbouring countries. But Gonsalves said most wish to remain in their home country, so the ships have now left.
But the Searchlight newspaper in St Vincent has reported residents of the red zone claiming that some are staying behind to steal. It quoted one resident as saying thieves broke into a store and tried to take four bottles of alcohol and a bottle of cream.
He evacuated but returned on Tuesday to untie his animals to give them a chance at survival. The police now have the power to arrest anyone found in the red zone without permission.
Prof Richard Robertson from the UWI Seismic Centre said the explosive eruptions may continue for weeks but that it was at a “quieter period than the vigour that we had at the beginning.” He said samples of the ash have been taken and are to be tested over the next week.
Gonsalves joked, “I have to face usually 20-50 minutes' questioning and I get a lot of good advice from another geologist/seismologist. He currently resides in Tobago, by the name of Dr Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.”
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