A question of dignity. For ages, the Collectif Rom has been fighting with the authorities to install water points in the various slums of the Lille metropolis. The demand had become even more pressing due to the coronavirus epidemic and the hygienic measures that this required. At the end of April, the collective's request was finally partially fulfilled.
"We welcome this openness to dialogue and the positive tone of this response," said the Collectif Rom after receiving assurance from the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL) that water points have been installed in six sites in and around Lille. In these places, the inhabitants of camps, shantytowns or squats now have a connection to the drinking water network. For the so-called Poterne site, in the Vieux-Lille district, it was noted that no connection was technically possible. The collective therefore supplied a tank which it asked MEL to supply “at close intervals of three days. "
Two camp residents win in court
There remains the case of the site known as the "Sainghin road", located in the town of Villeneuve-d'Ascq. To be granted a water point, two Romanians living on the land appealed to justice. The Lille administrative court agreed with them on April 29. In their defense, the prefect and the municipality had explained that distributions of bottles of water were regularly carried out among the inhabitants and that the latter could also obtain water from a fire hydrant 900 m from the camp. Insufficient for justice.
The court gave the prefect and the city of Villeneuve-d'Ascq until Wednesday to provide camp residents with temporary access to water. As here too, direct connection to the network is impossible, the court suggests installing a “nearby” tank. Latrines and refuse collection bins will also have to be made available. For these last two points, the Collectif Rom requests that they be set up in all the slums of the metropolis.
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- Water
- Rom
- Hygiene
- Coronavirus
- Lille