Ingrid Karta-Bink: “Water is no longer a luxury, but a necessity in Commewijne”

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Ingrid Karta-Bink sounds the alarm about the ongoing water issue in Commewijne. In an interview, the politician expresses her concerns about the limited access to clean drinking water for thousands of residents in the district. “Commewijne is a rapidly growing district,” Karta-Bink begins. “With the arrival of the Commewijne Water Production Center in Liberty in 2021, we hoped that the water issue would be resolved,” she says.
“The water center was supposed to provide approximately 500,000 liters of drinking water per hour,” she continues. “This would ensure that all roughly 33,000 residents would have access to good drinking water 24 hours a day. However, the reality is different.”
Up to the area of Tamanredjo, households are connected to the water supply network, but the area west of the East-West Connection at Tamanredjo still lacks access to clean drinking water. Karta-Bink points to places like Kampong Sawa, Zorgvliet, Alkmaar, and Visserszorg: “No tap water, let alone a water pipeline.”
Households in Mariëndaal, Orleanekreek, De Hulp, La Solitude, Welbedacht, Sinabo, Canawapibo, Siparipabo, Stolkertsijver, and Macriabo also lack access to tap drinking water, Karta-Bink continues. “Due to the extreme dry season, wells and creeks are dry, which is a major issue in Commewijne, on top of the other challenges in the country.”
The cost of drinking water is also skyrocketing for the residents of Commewijne. “In the Alkmaar area, residents pay SRD 750 for 1.5 durotank of water. Further from Tamanredjo, the price rises to over SRD 800. This water often lasts only three days for a household of five,” says Karta-Bink.
“That means water must be bought every three days. This amounts to ten times per month, or an additional expense of SRD 8000 per month, on top of the already high store prices.”
“The farther you live, the higher the transportation costs,” she explains. Karta-Bink wonders how long it will take before all residents of Commewijne have access to good drinking water. “About 13,000 residents of the district lack clean drinking water from the tap,” she emphasizes. “Water in 2024 is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.”
She makes an urgent appeal to the government to, especially in this period of extreme drought, reduce the rates for water delivery and ensure access to drinking water for all residents of Commewijne. “We were promised tap water. Let this become a reality for the residents of Commewijne.”