WATCH: ‘We want light’
Manchester residents protest for electricity
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Placard-bearing residents of New Forest in Manchester on Saturday morning blocked a section of the Alligator Pond main road to protest over the absence of electricity in parts of their community.
They have been without electricity since July 3 when Hurricane Beryl impacted the island. Up to Tuesday of this week, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) said it had restored power to 94 per cent of its customers. It was also getting ready to welcome line crews from various Caricom states to help with restoring electricity to the areas of the island still without.
In the meantime, protests are growing as people’s patience wears thin.
“Citizens in the heart of New Forest are tired of the darkness. When it [reaches] five 0’ clock [in the afternoons] mosquitoes come down, eating [us] like pigs. I am tired of buying diesel for the generator, it is not easy to afford $4,000 per day for a generator and we are on the main,” one resident complained.
“We operate business in the heart of New Forest. Why should it take all of 18 days for us to get back electricity and the [light] post dem nuh drop down?” the resident queried.
She argued that electricity has been restored to neighbouring areas.
“Down in Rowes Corner have light. What happen to New Forest? We are in the middle. Why we can’t get back the light?” asked the resident.
Another resident said she is frustrated and warned that more protests are likely if power is not restored soon.
“The whole a me chicken and pork spoil. We nah bad up nobody fi get nuh light… When the mosquitoes come down five o’ clock you hear dem come down, ‘people dead’. We need some light,” she said.
She warned that “if we nuh get through today, it a block tomorrow and every day until we get the light”.
Over the past week, there have been protests for electricity restoration at Dover in St Mary, Sheffield in Westmoreland and Lititz in St Elizabeth.
On Saturday morning, the JPS posted a schedule on its social media platforms of areas to be worked in each parish over the next three days.
— Kasey Williams
