Gov’t looking to tap into wells to address water woes in St Ann South Eastern
ST ANN, Jamaica – In a bid to address water supply challenges faced by residents in the St Ann South Eastern constituency, Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda has announced that his Administration is to commission a study in a bid to identify wells on lands held by bauxite companies in the constituency.
“Firstly, we will commission a study of all of the lands which are held by bauxite companies in the area to well availability so that we are able to partner with them to ensure that we access wells as close as possible to communities,” Samuda said.
“The very nature of this constituency and this area is [such] that pumping costs are going to be very expensive, so we need to get as close to [the] source as is possible. So we will commission that study. There are some [wells] that we are aware of, and we will ensure that we are able to access the productive wells. We will do the study and ensure that the NWC has the information and can apply for the necessary licences,” he said.
He was speaking to members of the media during a recent tour of the constituency with Member of Parliament Lisa Hanna, accompanied by senior members of staff of the National Water Commission, the Water Resources Authority and the Rural Water.
Hanna expressed her appreciation to Samuda for accepting her invitation to tour the constituency to get a first-hand view of the water challenges facing the residents.
She also hailed the water minister for the establishment of a water tank programme which will impact some 1000 residents.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank the minister. He has put in place a water tank programme. Already the assessments have been completed across the four divisions in this constituency and those water tanks will soon be distributed, certainly first in Bensonton and Claremont, and then Moneague and Beecher Town. So we look forward to a thousand persons receiving individual water catchment tanks for their premises,” Hanna said.