A high chief at Taelefaga, Fagaloa, who has been calling for action on a hydropower project is still waiting to find out if stinky water from the station is a threat to their health.
Leuta Sialafau Valoaga says that Chinese have been visiting their village for a while but there are still no signs of work having been done.
“Hopefully towards the end of June the problem will be resolved.”
He and others from the village say they have put up with the “worst” smell from one of the country’s hydropower stations for the last ten years.
Furthermore, he says people working at the Electric Power Corporation (E.P.C) have told “lie after lie” about the problem, with nothing solved.
<!-- samoaobs_headline -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="5353984075"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}
Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Manu’alesagalala Enokati Posala, confirmed last Monday that the corporation is looking at ways of resolving the problem.
“This includes laying pipelines that take the water straight out to the sea instead of exposing it.”
He denied there was any health risk to the people of the area from the smelly water.
“There are studies carried out and the result is, there is no harm to the health of people.”
However, this could not be confirmed. An official at the Ministry of Health said that they have not done any water safety tests.
He said that their presence at Taelefaga was for a students’ survey on rivers.
“We haven’t been there for any hydro-stink but taking students to do their research on rivers.”
He said there was nothing official for the ministry to respond to when it came to the hydropower stink, because, “still no complaint has been lodged in relation to that matter.”
Even if they had been to take water samples, Leuta said that the tests taken were not at a time when the smell was at its worst.
“The latest visits that were made in the last two weeks by the government, were officials from the Ministry of Health and I think they are taking samples for testing.”
“I wish they came at a time when the smell was really at its worst, like the last time when we were on television.
“So we are still waiting on the outcome of their investigation, as to whether it is still safe for us or not.”
<!-- samoa_observer.ws -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="5306335075"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}