ST JAMES, Jamaica – Some 50 water tanks with a 650-gallon capacity were delivered to residents of St James East Central on Friday.

Member of Parliament for St James East Central, Edmund Bartlett was on hand for the delivery of the tanks at the Barrett Town Primary School. He expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for the provision of the tanks for his constituents.

“On behalf of my constituents I welcome this generous gesture by Prime Minister the Most Honourable Andrew Holness. This will go a far way for the constituents, especially in this severe drought being experienced across the constituency at this time,” Bartlett said.

Holness, in his Budget Debate presentation last month, announced that Government would be providing 10,000 black water tanks to needy households across Jamaica, starting in fiscal year 2023/24. He said focus will initially be placed on areas adversely affected by drought.

“Households on the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), households recommended by Members of Parliament (MPs) and assessed by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation will qualify for the tanks, according to the rules of the programme,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister indicated that all tanks issued will be placed on the National Geographic Information System (GIS) database, which will provide valuable information about household storage capacity and how to plan for the delivery of water to the beneficiary households.

– Horace Hines