WHILE air pollution and smog are nothing new to them, Mexico City residents
now have to contend with a disaster
which could leave them literally dying of
thirst. The aquifer, the main source of
water for the capital city's nearly two
million inhabitants, is running dry'. Says
Alfonso Martinez Baca, head of Mexico
City's water authority, "Mexico City's
most pressing problem is not the smog,
but the scarcitv of water".
Two-thiris of the water supply is
met by the aquifer while the rest is
pumped by darns some 120 km away.
The current state of affairs is being
attributed to a faulty water network
which leaks nearly 30 per cent of water a
day. Measures to bill the consumers for
using water have never got off the
ground, fearing a political backlash.
This means that about half of the city's
population uses water for free while the
rest pay a flat tariff based on meters
which are read once in three vears. The
water authority, thus, operaies with a
deficit of us $400 million a year, barelv
enough to manage the water network.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.