Thousands in Mexico’s Guadalajara protest over water quality

Protesters demand a public health alert over allegedly contaminated tap water linked to illnesses and skin problems in Guadalajara. (EPA Images pic) GUADALAJARA: Thousands of people in Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s largest cities, protested outside the governor’s residence over contaminated water, according to local news reports.

Residents protesting the quality of tap water in the city, which hosted World Cup games earlier this year, clashed with police, according to a video published by daily El Universal. For months, residents in some neighbourhoods complained of water that was sullied, yellow and foul-smelling.

On Saturday, governor Pablo Lemus said in a social media post that the government was working to solve the water quality problem, after receiving “thousands” of citizens’ reports.

“I understand the frustration, I hear your demands, and you have every right to express yourselves,” he said.

Last week, officials suspended the water flow from the nearby Las Pintas reservoir that supplies the city, after they said it had been contaminated by wastewater following heavy rains. Protestors have insisted the problem preceded the latest weather.

The restriction on supply is expected to limit water availability in the city for several months.