Residents of Puvirnituq, Quebec, are enduring a worsening humanitarian crisis as freezing temperatures and heavy snow continue to paralyze the village’s water delivery system. Since March, a frozen pipeline linking the water pumping station to the treatment plant has forced emergency water trucking operations, which are now further hampered by bad weather and equipment failures.
Despite temporary efforts to deliver water manually, slushy roads are immobilizing trucks and halting sewage collection. Parts for a replacement pipe have arrived, but installation has been delayed until June due to unsafe weather conditions.
The health impacts are escalating. Gastroenteritis cases are rising, with the local hospital facing multiple water shortages. Dr. Marie-Faye Galarneau resigned in protest, citing dangerous sanitation conditions for both patients and staff. “We need water when dealing with blood, vomit, and stool. 300ml bottles of water aren’t sufficient,” she said.
Schools are also affected, with closures triggered by water and sewage disruptions and an E. coli outbreak. Students are missing class during exam season, forced to melt snow for toilet flushing at home.
Court operations have been relocated to Amos, and local officials are urging higher levels of government to declare a state of emergency. Emergency response mechanisms have been activated, but long-term solutions remain uncertain amid rising costs and logistical barriers.
Calls for federal and provincial intervention are growing louder as Puvirnituq’s 2,100 residents continue to face unacceptable living conditions without reliable access to clean water.
Source: Swifteradio.com
