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Monday, November 27, 2006 – Minister for Communications, Works
Transport and Public Utilities Honourable Felix Finisterre has again denied
claims that government has abandoned a 20-inch pipeline project, which was
commissioned just over a year ago.
Minister Finisterre says the 20-inch pipeline to this day, remains in use and
will never need to be abandoned, because of the important role it plays in
transmitting water directly to the north of the island. He says the proof is
there, in that hotels no longer need to truck water and complaints for water in
the north of the island have been minimal.
The Minister says the claims are deliberate and are being used as propaganda for
political mileage.
He said, “The 20-inch pipe funded by the French Government, is to ensure that
water from the TR Theobalds Plant at Ciceron get to the area of greatest need,
that is the hotel and residential belt in the north of the island. It had one or
two problems but that pipeline has been commissioned over a year ago and is
working. The people up there have been satisfied that there is adequate supply
to most communities, except with distribution systems for smaller communities
such as La Bourne.”
The Minister says the 16-inch pipelines now being laid on the other side of the
highway should not be confused with the already commissioned 20-inch pipeline
project. The Minister says there is a clear distinction between a transmission
line and a distribution line.
“The 20-inch pipeline is a transmission line. We are now replacing a
distribution line—a very old 16-inch line. If we didn't do that now, when we
resurfaced the road at some point in the near future, we will have to come back
and dig the new highway. It made sense to put a variation on the ongoing
roadworks to avoid that,” the minister said.
The minister said government is also being proactive by allowing the
installation of a broadband duct to accept cables of a new broadband
company-Southern Caribbean Fibre-which has already been given a licence to
operate in St. Lucia. This, he says, is expected to significantly enhance
broadband capable technology on the island.
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