American Lara DeVries, executive director of the Light & Leadership Initiative, an NGO based in the Ate-Vitarte district of Lima, talks about the high cost of water for shantytown residents in this MSNBC video:
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Lara helped me coordinate the NBC Nightly News team’s coverage of water scarcity in the shantytowns. The NBC crew followed an aguacero (water truck) driven by her neighbor as it traveled on its early-morning route through neighborhoods in Ate-Vitarte. The expensive water sold from the truck comes directly from the contaminated River Rimac and is supposed to be treated for heavy minerals, bacteria and contaminants but is not.
SEDAPAL, the agency charged with overseeing water quality for metropolitan Lima, turns a blind eye to the aguaceros.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Holly // Jan 11, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Water in Lima… maybe Peru’s biggest social and developmental challenge? Staggering, really. UNHCR recommends a minimum of 15L pp, pd of safe water for IDP/refugee centers — most Limenos don’t get that much.
And it’s more comprehensive a problem than water delivered to homes. As I remember, the Rimac is used to wash the dust off of fruits and vegetables trucked into the city before market. Maybe this isn’t done anymore, but it highlights the many places contamination is an issue.
2 Carlos A. Quiroz // Jan 31, 2010 at 7:25 am
Aguaceros or aguateros, I remember those while living in Lima. Their water is absolutely dirty but it’s the only source for many. This is the side of Peru that many prefer not to look at. Thanks for posting this!
By the way, I see that you have taken a break from blogging, you are being missed!