Dear Editor,

Jamaica is facing a serious water crisis.

The National Water Commission (NWC) has issued a notice that customers served by the Hermitage Dam and Mona Reservoir will receive water on “alternating days”.

The Roselle Waterfall in St Thomas has been reduced to a trickle, where water once gushed. Jamaica is known as the “land of wood and water”, so how did we find ourselves in the position we are in today?

We have been beating up on the present minister of water and climate change but no government — Jamaica Labour Party or People’s National Party — has placed any emphasis on water security since the great conceptualiser Norman Manley. He introduced the micro dams to Jamaica from Cuba.

We have had several housing developments over the last 40 years and none of them were required to construct man-made lakes and/or plant trees. In Jamaica we cut down trees to make way for development and for the burning of coal. There is no concern for sustainability.

On a hot day in Florida, you will suddenly experience a heavy downpour of rain. What is the cause of this? The answer is the man-made lakes and the planting of trees which attract rainfall. We have not learned from the Cubans who harvest and store storm water, in addition to rainwater. In places like Singapore where there are no rivers, they purchase portable water for domestic purposes and have a desalination programme in place.

Jamaica needs a water security plan now! We are now the land of drought and places like St Andrew, St Thomas and St Elizabeth are experiencing more and more serious brush fires that destroy crops and homes.

Let us forget about the blame game and start water conservation and a water-harvesting programme.

Joseph M Cornwall Sr, JP

Managing Director/CEO

House of Tranquillity Funeral Home Ltd