THE Cabinet has agreed to make a special allocation of approximately $308 million to fund measures to alleviate current drought conditions, minister with responsibility for water Daryl Vaz told the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

According to the minister, the following steps will be taken: Rural Water Supply Limited will be allocated $70 million to provide wayside tanks and loading bays islandwide; $63 million will be shared equally amongst the 63 Members of Parliament to provide black tanks and trucking of water; the National Water Commission will be allocated $100 million for the trucking of water islandwide; and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development will be allocated $75 million to provide additional water shops and trucked water.

Vaz said that one of the methodologies that will be utilised by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) to assist with drought mitigation measures and to provide water to assist in the fight against COVID-19 is the provision and installation of wayside tanks and strategically located loading bays.

“As indicated earlier, an amount of $70 million will be provided to the Rural Water Supply Limited, through the MEGJC, to facilitate the installation of approximately 130 wayside tanks and the construction of approximately 39 loading bays,” Vaz said.

He said that, in the first instance, the Rural Water Supply Limited, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, will determine the best location for the installation of wayside tanks in the most vulnerable water-deficient areas.

Vaz said that contacts have already been made with the various municipal corporations, and they have responded and have advised of suitable locations for the installation of the tanks and loading bays.

A total of 130 wayside tanks will be installed throughout the island, 10 in each of the 13 rural parishes. This will come at a total cost of $59 million. Thirty-nine loading bays will be installed, which amounts to approximately three in each parish. Installation cost in the 13 rural parishes is $10.8 million.

He said that the benefits to be derived from the installation of wayside tanks at strategic locations include easy access to potable water by residents in areas devoid of adequate water supply, and ease of delivery of water by trucking, compared with house-to-house delivery.

Vaz added that the installation of loading bays, also at strategic locations, will enhance the trucking of water and reduce the cost of water delivery, thereby making it more efficient and cost-effective.

The forecast for the three-month period, July to September, has indicated that rainfall amounts are likely to be below normal to near normal, with above-normal temperatures. Jamaicans have been urged to brace for an increase in heat stress impacts, bush fires as well as reduced water inflows into water storage facilities and reservoirs for the three months.

The Meteorological Service says it will continue to monitor the findings from the computer models in the upcoming months and advise stakeholders, especially farmers, accordingly.