"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.N. independent experts are denouncing chronic water cuts in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, adding that they are concerned about tap water pollution, excessive prices and attempts to silence critics.
They noted that activists, scientists and others who have spoken out about the situation are being censored, and that officials ordered a last-minute ban on a local water debate that was being organized by the University of the West Indies.
“Water has become a sensitive subject, difficult to discuss freely, and several actors denouncing the dysfunctions of the water system are in danger,” the experts said in a statement Thursday.
The experts accused private operators, local authorities and the French government of neglecting the island’s water system for years, saying their actions have led to an outdated network, leaking pipes, defective treatment plants and faulty billing software, among other malfunctions."
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