Drought worsens in Puerto Rico; government extends severe water restrictions
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)_ A deepening drought in Puerto Rico has forced the government to extend severe water rationing measures to more communities.
A total of nearly 400,000 customers now receive water every third day as the U.S. territory’s main reservoirs continue to shrink.
Nearly 13 per cent of Puerto Rico is under an extreme drought and another 39 per cent under a severe one. The National Drought Mitigation Center said a total of 2.5 million people have been affected.
The newest rationing measures went into effect Wednesday.
The drought has forced some businesses to temporarily close as Puerto Rico struggles to emerge from a nearly decade-long economic slump.
Other Caribbean islands also are struggling with a drought, including Jamaica, St. Lucia and the Dominican Republic.
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Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
