In Lima’s poor areas, over 635,000 people lack running water and depend on tanker trucks delivering limited supplies once a week, often in unsanitary conditions. The disparity highlights urban planning issues and a neglect of access for marginalized communities, with wealthier neighborhoods enjoying abundant water resources. Residents face significant health risks and financial burdens due to their inadequate water access.
In the dry hills of Lima, Peru, over 635,000 residents lack access to running water, relying instead on water delivered by tanker trucks. With a population exceeding 10 million, Lima is the second-largest city in a desert after Cairo and faces significant rainfall shortages despite having the Pacific Ocean and three rivers nearby. Residents in informal settlements, particularly in areas like San Juan de Miraflores, often wait for blue tanker trucks that deliver free water just once a week, leaving it in unsanitary containers along dusty streets.
Catalina Naupa, a 59-year-old resident, describes the health risks of relying on this water source, reporting stomach cramps and migraines. Trucks sometimes fail to arrive in winter due to muddy roads, forcing residents to wash clothes infrequently to conserve water. Sedapal, the city’s water utility, provides approximately 30 liters (eight gallons) of water per person daily, significantly less than the UN’s recommended 50 to 100 liters.
Experts like Jeremy Robert from the Institute for Development Research highlight fears of water rationing due to diminishing reservoirs, while Antonio Ioris, a geography professor at Cardiff University, emphasizes that the lack of access stems from poor urban planning and rural migration. This situation is compounded by the geography of San Juan de Miraflores, where concrete staircases lead to inaccessible areas, forcing residents to pay six times more for water compared to those connected to the utility grid.
Inequities are starkly visible along a 10-kilometer concrete barrier, dubbed the “wall of shame,” which separates impoverished San Juan de Miraflores from wealthier neighborhoods like Santiago de Surco. While the latter enjoys high water consumption rates of 200 liters per day per person, residents on the poorer side live in stark contrast. Cristel Mejia, who operates a soup kitchen, notes that Surco feels like “another world.”
Access to running water in Lima, Peru, illustrates the stark disparities between wealth and poverty in urban areas. Despite proximity to the ocean and rivers, many residents survive on limited and often unsanitary water supplies delivered sporadically by truck. Urban planning failures and migration challenges exacerbate their hardships, underscoring the urgent need for policy attention to improve basic services for low-income populations, especially in informal settlements.
Original Source: homenewshere.com
