Help on the way for Perth Town residents

WESTERN BUREAU:

As frustration continues to mount in Perth Town in Trelawny about poor infrastructure in the area, two of the island’s utility companies are now gearing up to improve their services to the community.

Audrey Williams, media and public relations manager at the Jamaica Public Service, told The Gleaner that the utility company is aware of the issues affecting Perth Town and said work is now being done to rectify the inconsistency in the JPS’s service and an improvement should be seen before the end of October.

“The primary issue stemmed in great part from interference on the line which feeds Perth Town from Martha Brae, due to the terrain through which the line runs. As a result, the team built a new line to serve Perth Town running from Reserve,” said Williams. “We are presently awaiting the energisation of that new line, which should take place within a fortnight or so.”

Like the JPS, the National Water Commission (NWC) says it, too, is planning to undertake water supply improvement work in Perth Town and surrounding communities.

“Residents in sections of Trelawny are being advised of upcoming works to address water supply issues which are reportedly affecting approximately 30 active NWC customers in the Perth Town, Garredu and Graves End communities. This work is geared at rectifying the current water situation impacting the communities,” a release from the company stated. “Based on initial assessment the company will be focusing its attention on the area between the Chester Relift facility and the Perth Town Tank facility.”

STUDENTS FACING CHALLENGES

The residents of Perth Town, a small farming community, which adjoins Sherwood Content, the home district of track icon Usain Bolt, has been plagued by recurring power outages, bad roads, and an inconsistent water supply for a long time. Last Sunday, the frustrated residents decided to host a community meeting to highlight their plight.

Adrian Robinson, who operates a business in Perth Town, told The Gleaner that he has been struggling to keep his business afloat due to the inconsistencies in the various services.

“I am a farmer and I do events on my farm. Last week Saturday, we had a wedding that was supposed to start at 2 o’clock; however, the electricity went away at 1 o’clock and it came back at 11 p.m. after the wedding,” said Robinson. “It is just fortunate that we had a generator running but if I had to solely depend on JPS, I would have been out of business because this is an ongoing thing.”

Robinson said that students attending the community school, Perth Town Academy, are also facing challenges due to the lack of adequate services. He stressed that more needs to be done to help the school, which is a special education institution, as the children’s learning is being hindered.

“The school, Perth Town Academy, is hard-hit because the children have to go home before time because of the power outages and this has been happening for years. When the children go home they can’t study and they can’t iron their clothes. Their parents can’t keep their food in the refrigerator because there is no electricity,” said Robinson

INVITATIONS VIA EMAIL

Natalie Palmer, who chaired the community meeting, told The Gleaner that invitations were sent via email to the Jamaica Public Service (JPS); the National Water Commission (NWC); Falmouth’s Mayor Colin Gager; Tova Hamilton, the member of parliament for Trelawny Northern; and Roydell Hamilton, the councillor for the Martha Brae Division. However, only Roydell Hamilton attended.

According to Palmer, Perth Town has been neglected for many years and residents have been forced to seek better opportunities outside of the community. She pointed out that the inconsistent services coupled with the bad roads have caused many of the youngsters to leave the community.

“There are not a lot of young people living in Perth Town. Most of the young people dem move out and gone. There is no water [and] that is the main reason. If Perth Town didn’t have a water problem I would probably live at my mother’s house. We need roads, we need water and we need to be treated better when it comes to electricity,” said Palmer.

When The Gleaner contacted Hamilton, who is a first-term member of parliament, about her absence from the meeting, she said she did not receive an email invitation or other correspondence from residents of Perth Town. She further questioned why a community meeting was held without her knowledge.