MORE than two decades after migrating to North America and the United Kingdom, a group of Beecher Town, St Ann, natives say the community in which they grew up has seen little development despite being just three miles from the tourist hub of Ocho Rios, even lacking piped water and basic infrastructure.

Now united under the Beecher Town Give Back Association (BTGBA), Diaspora members are calling for urgent Government intervention to address long-standing issues, insisting the community can no longer be overlooked as they hope to one day return to a more liveable environment. The group has already conducted a feasibility study aimed at bringing water to the area, made submissions to the relevant authorities, and is now awaiting a response on that and other concerns.

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda; Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern Kenneth Russell; and the National Water Commission (NWC) have all confirmed receipt of the document submitted by the association. They acknowledged the challenges facing the community and have given assurances that steps are being taken to address the water issue.

For Sharon Codner, a Diaspora member of the BTGBA, the situation is deeply disheartening. Having migrated to the United States in the 1990s, she said she has returned several times only to find the community largely unchanged, with many of the hardships she experienced in childhood still a daily reality for residents.

“I’ve seen my dad throughout the years buy water constantly — especially during the summer months — for us, for the cattle, everything; and when drought hits, then it’s even harder because sometimes the trucks are not available to bring water, so we have been through this. And imagine, all of us left Jamaica for so long and if we want to return here we’re going back to the same issue that we left years ago, and nothing has not been done,” said Codner.

“We are only three and a half miles out of Ocho Rios, and Ocho Rios is a tourist hub. We who live in the hills of Beecher Town are so overlooked. No water. And, of course, without water there’s no road as well,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Codner said that in 2012, former residents of Beecher Town now living in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom came together to form the association to support their home community. The association has more than 300 members.

She noted that while the group regularly hosts initiatives such as health fairs, Christmas treat programmes, and community clean-up activities, and provides assistance to struggling residents, larger challenges like the lack of water and proper infrastructure remain beyond their capacity. As a result, the group has shifted its focus to advocacy on behalf of the community.

Audley Codner, also a member of the Diaspora group, is puzzled as to why the community remains without water when there are many viable options.

“There are so many springs and adjoining districts — Salisbury, known as Hinds Town; you’ve [also] got Crossroad, you’ve got Content, you’ve got Racecourse, you’ve got Beecher Town, you’ve got Cottage… The wells are still at Reynolds, which is more on the backside. If they really intend to give us water they can give us water. It’s not the source, but I don’t know why we have been ignored. Nothing has changed over the years,” he insisted.

Sharon added that the state of the Beecher Town cemetery is another matter that needs to be addressed. She said the cemetery, previously, had been used strictly by community members, but was converted into a public cemetery with no maintenance.

“The Give Back Association went down last year and they took the initiative to clean the cemetery. It’s a total mess,” she said, adding that the community is also in need of an active and effective community centre to engage members and youth.

“It breaks our heart to know that in this day and age…we are being overlooked,” she said, adding that the association will no longer sit on the sidelines and be quiet.

Minister Samuda said the lack of piped water in the community was first brought to his attention last Friday when he spoke with Russell. He confirmed receipt of the proposals by the BTGBA, noting that a more technical document than what was shared will be needed to determine the way forward. He said he is “open to working with the community members to design a solution, whether local or Diaspora members”, adding that “unfortunately, there are no quick fixes in this case”.

The minister indicated that he has instructed the technical team within his ministry to assess the situation and determine what interventions may be possible. Samuda further assured that the Government remains committed to improving water access in rural communities across the island.

“The Government has invested billions of dollars in improving water supply in rural communities over the past 10 years, positively impacting 350,000 rural Jamaicans. I will outline major plans for rural water supply systems in my contribution to the sectoral debate at the end of April,” said the minister in response to the Sunday Observer.

“I assure all Jamaicans, living here or abroad, that the commitment of Vision 2030 to provide potable water to all Jamaicans by 2030 is more than just an aspiration, but a goal benefiting from Government action and significant investment,” he added.

The NWC also confirmed receipt of the document sent by the organisation, noting that an acknowledgement was sent to the BTGBA. The commission also told the Sunday Observer that an assessment is also under way to tackle the problem.

Member of Parliament Russell said Beecher Town has been plagued by a water crisis for more than 30 years. He noted that the problem is not unique to Beecher Town, with about 50 per cent of his constituency not served by the NWC. He said the situation has resulted in a weekly meeting with the NWC to supply water to residents and provide a long-term solution.

According to Russell, a previous arrangement dating back more than 30 years saw residents receiving piped water from Lydford, formerly Reynolds Well, but it later fell apart. He said discussions are in place to revive a similar programme.

“Part of the exploration we’re now doing is to look back to see if that source [Lydford] is still able to supply the community. In addition to that, there is the expansion of the Walkerswood line from Walkerswood to Breadnut Hill, so that’s an additional consideration. And part of it is feasibility work, that is to look to see, again, does it provide enough or does it have enough to supply the community,” Russell told the Sunday Observer.

The Member of Parliament further acknowledged and agreed with the association’s complaints about the lack of development in the area, stating that he is hopeful a major housing development will help to resolve infrastructure and development issues.

“I think a spin-off of the development will see greater certainty around issues of access to water and improvements in the roads, because then we have an additional investor with whom we can have conversations with about helping to improve the community. Beecher Town and Hinds Town, they’re like many other communities that have struggled over time because while the coast has seen significant development, that development is very narrow,” said Russell.

AUDLEY…nothing has changed over the years

Sharon Codner, a former Beecher Town resident and Diaspora member of the Beecher Town Give Back Association

SAMUDA..I assure all Jamaicans, living here or abroad, that the commitment of Vision 2030 to provide potable water to all Jamaicans by 2030 is more than just an aspiration, but a goal benefiting from Government action and significant investment (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern Kenneth Russell says water issues are not unique to Beecher Town, as about 50 per cent of his constituency is not served by the National Water Commission.