By Clayton Florent, Guadeloupe Correspondent
The extended dry season is affecting agriculture and livestock on the French island of Guadeloupe.
The Prefect Jean Fabre has put measures in place to limit the consumption and waste of water since in February, but is seems the population has not been adhering to the regulations; so the authorities have decided to reinforce the regulations.
No washing of vehicles with the hose, no watering of lawns and no emptying and refilling of swimming pools. Anyone caught breaking these regulations risk paying fines of between 1, 500 to 3,000 euro.
However, persons are complaining as to why the private car-washes are still allowed conduct business using potable water. Persons are also concerned with the quantity of water that is being lost underground, since the water system in some areas is over 30 years old.
The Prefect said renewing the system should be a priority in order to alleviate some of the shortages suffered in some areas of the country, especially those living in elevated areas.
On my radio program recently, some callers were also complaining, saying they are making an effort to conserve water as much as they can, but still their water bills are not going down.
Due to the lack of rainfall and the ash from the collapse of the Soufriere Hills volcano dome on February 11, farmers were forced to stop the export of bananas and melons until May, because the quality was not fit for export. This caused a significant loss of revenue to the farmers; but the government has promised to compensate farmers for the losses incurred.
The authorities are also worried that the price of vegetables could increase significantly due to low production caused by the prolonged dry spell.
This sound like a real crisis situation. We do have to pray that some rain comes soon. Meanwhile, everybody needs to cooperate and make the necessary sacrifices. Those people who insist on washing their cars despite the dire circumstances are truly selfish and do deserve to be fined.