FOR the umpteenth time residents and educators in the South West St Andrew community of Greenwich Town are pleading with the authorities to address the stench coming from the nearby National Water Commission (NWC) sewage plant.

More than 10 years ago the NWC promised that it would be taking steps to reduce the stench which has regularly blanketed sections of the community.

But on Tuesday principals of two schools in the community and residents charged that the foul stench from the plant continues to significantly affect their quality of life.

An obviously frustrated acting principal of the Greenwich Primary School Andrea Richards charged that the community’s best efforts to appeal to authorities to eradicate the stench has been falling on deaf ears.

She explained that the malodour from the sewage plant, since its inception, has been hampering the daily lives of the neighbourhood’s residents, disrupting schools, and wafting into their homes.

“We have been grappling with this situation for a number of years and everybody is aware of it and nobody has helped us. It is as if our cries are falling on deaf ears. The Ministry [of Education] is aware of it also and we get no help,” said Richards as she pointed out that while some work was done on the plant the stench is worse this time.

According to Richards, she has grave concerns over the health of her teachers and students. She recalled instances when children would wretch when the scent became especially pungent throughout the day.

Richards said she suspects the school’s declining student population over the years is due to the scent and concerns of parents about the health of their children who have to deal with the stink every day.

“There have been teachers here where they came in healthy and then they had to leave because over the years it has affected them. We are also down in numbers. There are parents who are saying that they are not sending their children to the school because of the stench,” said Richards.

“We are appealing for a resolution so that we can have a school where we can breathe fresh air. Because with that [sewage plant] over there, the air isn’t good, and we breathe it every single day. So I’m asking whoever, people in high places, please help us,” added Richards.

It was a similar story from principal of Caribbean Palms Early Childhood Institution Marlene Reid, who pointed out that the school has been plagued by the odour since its doors first opened 11 years ago.

“It is affecting the school enormously, especially when the smell comes up, we have to be covering our nose, covering our mouth, telling the children not to talk, so they actually have gotten used to it,” said Reid.

She noted that the community was told by officials that the sewage plant would have been removed, but that commitment was seemingly abandoned.

“We really wish that it will be removed as promised so that we [can avoid] health issues because we don’t know what day it can end up affecting our children in a very disgusting way,” said Reid.

In the meantime a resident of the community for more than 40 years, Lionel Davis, said that the plant has been there for as long as he has lived in Greenwich Town.

His recounted incidents of people vomiting, having difficulty breathing, and wearing masks due to the scent.

Davis added his voice to those appealing to the authorities for the plant to either be chemically treated or moved so that residents would be free of the poor air quality.

A truck dumping sewage of the NWC plant in Greenwich Town, St Andrew.

The 11-year-old Caribbean Palms Early Childhood Institution whose students have suffered from the stench from the first day it opened.