Gov’t, bauxite companies join together in hunt for water
TO ADDRESS the issues of water scarcity experienced across various communities in St Ann South Eastern, the Government is looking to partner with bauxite companies to conduct a study of their properties to determine the availability of water wells in the area.
Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, made the announcement last Friday after concluding a tour of water systems in the parish.
Samuda was accompanied by Lisa Hanna, member of parliament for the constituency, and members from the National Water Commission (NWC), the Water Resources Authority (WRA), and Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL).
Samuda pointed out that water access for the locals was severely inadequate as there were a number of water systems that are in disrepair and others that are significantly underinvested.
“We looked at some short-, medium-, and long-term solutions. Obviously, for a constituency of this size ... there are distribution challenges, but ... we are looking at all of the systems holistically and are ensuring that the investment programme deals with the largest impact first,” he said.
Due to the high costs associated with the water-pumping process, the Government is seeking to access these wells, which preferably, are nearest to the affected communities, Samuda said.
“We will do the studies and ensure that NWC has the information and can apply for the necessary licences,” Samuda said.
However, he did not offer a timeline on when this would occur.
Samuda added that while there were distribution issues, there were also “some easy wins” that he thought the Government could address such as the commencement of pipe work scheduled to begin soon from Higgin Town to the Claremont communities.
“That’s something that has been on the books for a long time,” he said, adding that there were a number of major projects that would have to be undertaken as well.
For her part, Hanna stated that because of climate change, the parish was not receiving as much rainfall as it once did.
Nevertheless, she pointed out that assessments had been completed in all four divisions and that close to 1,000 water tanks are expected to be distributed to the communities that fall under each division as part of the ministry’s water tank initiative.
“Water is life, and it really is a human right, and it’s really something that should be given naturally to people. In this day and age, no one should be wondering if they can get water,” she said, noting that she empathised with the residents who were dealing with water shortages and that they could expect to see some changes soon.