LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Time for Health to think again

Dear Editor - In an article on the Television Local News on Wednesday 14 February, Dr Daniel, of the Ministry of Health, indicated that the MoH would be spraying the whole of Rarotonga to kill mosquitoes, to deal with the increase of Dengue fever.
Eliminating mosquitoes is something that should be done on a regular basis, so that outbreaks of Dengue do not have a fiscal consequence when tourists stop visiting our Pacific Paradise, because of the fever.
The question that arises is, will the MoH be using the old tried and true method of spraying Malathion. The fact that MoH warns the public to stay indoors when they are spraying Malathion, indicates that the chemical is harmful to humans.
However, even indoors with windows closed, the smell of Malathion permeates the air, when the spraying is proceeding. It is important to emphasize to, as we are finding to our grief, that Malathion also poisons the environment.
Not only are the chemicals soaking through the soil into the water table and through that into the lagoon (while losing nothing of their lethal potency in the process) poisoning the fish, there are other biological effects to spraying Malathion, or any chemical, in that the chemicals kill the predators that feed on mosquitoes, such as the dragonfly.
What then is the best thing to do? Poison the people by using Malathion to kill Dengue Fever carrying mosquitoes, or poison the people with Dengue Fever?
The answer is neither. There are proven organic products, that are non poisonous to people or the environment, that will deal with the mosquito problem.
There may be additional cost for the organic product, but it should not even be considered relevant, when the degrading of the economy and future of the country is the consequence.
If we continue to use poisonous chemicals we will kill the people and the environment and there will be nothing, or nobody, left in a few short years for any survivors to do anything with. The public needs assurances that Government will discontinue this slow but sure and deadly poisoning.
Government should be setting the example by using organic products and outlawing chemicals altogether. It is time for renewal of ideas, methods and practises.

- Ray Preston
Group for Environmental and Economic Renewal

A way to make water pay

Dear Editor - I read in your latest issues there is talk of water meters again and the usual employing of a “consultant”
Presume there are 5000 properties on Rarotonga.
Supply and install 5000 meters at $250 a piece = $1.25 million.
Add to this trucks, meter readers, a repair team, salaries, an accounting system and the staff to run this.
Along with the usual inefficiencies of government departments and the bad debts of non payers finding that they can not have there water turned off from non payment due to the health issues of not being able to flush toilets becomes apparent.
The water meter department would slide into oblivion within a couple of years with no return on investment.
Consider all the 5000 properties have a power connection.
Apply a $10 a month pipeline service fee each month added to the power account issued by Te Aponga.
There is an existing accounting system, a method of deterrence of non payment by being able to disconnect power if payment not made.
Minimal set up costs, A service fee to Te Aponga for issuing and collecting funds.
$10 x 5000 properties per month = $600000.00 per year
$600000.00 a year to assist with upgrading the water supply would be a reasonable start to a user pay system and as the years pass the supply can only get better with these additional funds.
Common sense has just saved the cost of the consultant and added $600000.00 to government coffers.

- Ian Ibbetson
Pokoinu         

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