23/03/2010

Venezuelan Government allocates US$ 6 billion to democratize access to drinking water

Caracas, Mar 22. ABN.- The Venezuelan Government, during its first 10 years in Revolution, has invested about 6 billion dollars to democratize the access to drinking water nationwide.

The statements were made on Monday by the environment minister Alejandro Hitcher during an interview broadcast by the Venezuelan state-run channel Venezolana de Television.

Hitcher stated that the management made by the Government shows, in reference to drinking water, a significant increase on national coverage for the population.

“We found the country with 82 percent drinking water coverage and we currently have 95 percent,” Hitcher underlined.

Furthermore, regarding sewages he said: “We received the country with 85 percent of coverage and, nowadays, we have about 92 percent of coverage in waste waters throughout the country.”

Hitcher explained that the lake of Valencia and Margarita island are the two ecosystems affected the most by waste waters; so, waste waters are treated directly in those places.

Furthermore, the environment minister said that offering drinking water and waste waters services to the population, “implies a huge effort that can be evidenced with the investments, because this is the Government that has invested the most in water. In the last seven years we have invested in those two essential services about 6 billion dollars.”

“That 6 billion dollars figure was never invested in 20 years during previous governments,” he underlined.

Finally, Hitcher highlighted the leading role performed by organized communities working jointly and acting through the social comptrollership, so the Government can execute sustainable actions to solve water problems among population.