Thu | Mar 28, 2024

Bull Bay communities without water

Published:Monday | May 29, 2023 | 12:14 AM

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Bull Bay communities have a water problem for over five years. I have written emails to the National Water Commission, the Office of the Utilities Regulation, and to the governor general from 2019 which attest to this. Now, again, no wata inna di pipe. Tamarind Tree and other communities have been without water for over a week.

I remember, already half a decade ago, I urged Jamaican politicians to initiate the construction of desalination plants, to transform ocean water and make it usable for industry, agriculture and, most importantly, for the people. This has been done in other Caribbean island and in countries around the world. Nothing, however, came out of it.

The only measure taken was to build water reservoirs below some shopping plazas, with the thought to use the cheapest method and ‘what worked in the good old ancient days will work today, too’. This is not the right approach; especially with the erratic weather conditions caused by climate change, these old concepts may not work.

The result is that several communities are now left with no water. I have also written to the president of the Jamaican Senate, asking for an investigation into this matter.

Of course, I don’t expect any investigation to take place; and also, nothing will change – this is Jamaica, after all.

SVEN LITTKOWSKI