THE Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) wants to enter into an agreement with the National Water Commission (NWC) to ensure that all rural communities have sustainable potable water supply by 2030.

“This can be achieved through the development of a programme that will lead to repairing and maintaining existing water supply schemes, the development of a programme for mimi-dams, rain water harvesting and research and development of existing wells,” president of the JAS Senator Norman Grant said he proposed to head of the state-run utility company, Mark Barnett.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Grant explained that although the NWC has already indicated that it was putting these measures in place as general policy, there was a need for specific attention to be paid to farmers and rural communities.

“We will seek to engage the NWC… to work with structured JAS farmers’ groups to execute, in a targeted way, [the provision of water for farmers]. So while they may have a general policy framework for that, we are very particular as it relates to the demand and requirement for the rural citizenry and the farmers in general,” Grant said.

At the same time, he called on the NWC to reverse the charges to farmers and residents in East Rural St Andrew who have for many years being charged for water although not supplied with the commodity. “Farmers and residents have received no water but continue to be billed for the commodity. The JAS wishes to call on your good office to reverse these charges on the farmers and residents accounts and to establish a fresh approach to the water challenges,” the JAS head appealed to the water commission president.

The JAS president gave the commitment that once water is being supplied to these communities then the society would “insist on payments to the NWC”.

Further investigations, he said, would be carried out to determine whether farmers in other sections of the island have had similar challenges with the NWC and the extent to the problem.

“The Jamaica Agricultural Society looks forward to working with the commission in our quest to improve the water supply to the rural communities in Jamaica and hereby ask you to provide us with an update on the Commission Development Programme for the farming and rural communities,” Grant told the NWC president.