Havana’s Miramar, Also Without Water

By Aurelio Pedroso  (Progreso Semanal)

HAVANA TIMES – The myth about this former residential area of ??the Cuban upper bourgeoisie has just been broken. According to the bad tongues (and good ones too), neither light nor water was ever lacking because of the fact that it is home to the great majority of diplomatic missions, ambassadors residences and foreign firms among other peculiar residents. But that is no longer the case.

Along with the break and reparations of an important main pipeline that supplies water to this capital with its almost 20 municipalities, seriously felt in the day to day by its inhabitants, a faulty valve on 60^th St. also knocked out the water supply in Miramar.

And Thursday was the third day when no water in the pipes. The State water company has made available to the residents a telephone number to request the cistern trucks, but getting through is the equivalent of trying to call God.

Apparently, on Miramar’s streets and avenues, police patrol cars have been ordered to strictly monitor these precious vehicles and their drivers are required to show the road map and other documents that indicate the destination of the water. Even so, some state or private restaurants have obtained their services [supposedly prioritize homes] as has happened with the state-owned Don Cangrejo restaurant.

Despite timely information in the media, people become impatient. A house without water is a mess where you cannot cook and the physiological needs go directly into a newspaper and plastic garbage container on the street.

“Radio Bemba”, spokesman of the popular gossip does not cease to transmit bad news. A colleague who is a resident affected, managed to communicate with the company Aguas de La Habana and returned momentary tranquility to all: they told him that on Wednesday night the water would enter the pipes. However, not a single drop came.

Meanwhile, Miramar residents are doing exactly what the name of their district means. They look at the sea, those millions and millions of liters as salty as they are useless to meet their needs while waiting for the magical appearance of a cistern truck.