KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, JC Hutchinson, is requesting that a feasibility study be done to explore the possibility of harnessing electricity from the water currently being pumped from the Holland property into the Black River, St Elizabeth.

“This would be similar to what currently obtains at the Maggotty hydro-electric plant, now owned and operated by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) but on a smaller scale,” Hutchinson informed the House of Representatives, recently, as he made his contribution to the annual State of the Constituencies Debate at Gordon House.

“I am also requesting the construction of a solar farm on the Holland property to provide solar power to operate the pumps and, therefore, offset the dependency on the high cost of electricity, provided by JPS,” the minister noted.

He also requested that 20 acres of Holland lands be transferred from the National Land Agency (NLA) to the Ministry of Housing, for the Middlesex squatter settlement, to be developed and sold to the 54 families now occupying the property.

He said that most of these families are living in very deplorable conditions, and he is asking for it to be treated as a priority.

“With the rainfall experienced since April of this year, many of our municipal corporation roads are now in a deplorable condition, and so I am requesting a substantial allocation be given to each constituency for the rehabilitation and repair of these roads,” he added.

Hutchinson, who represents North West St Elizabeth in the House, also pointed out that, adjacent to the scenic Holland Bamboo Avenue, is a 2,400 acre property, which is bursting with economic opportunities to benefit the constituency, the parish and, by extension, Jamaica.

“The property is below sea level and has three springs which have water flowing from them, even in the middle of a severe drought. This water has to be constantly pumped off the property and into the Black River.

He stated that the Campari Company which operated the property up to 2020 said it cost between $800,000 and $1 million per month for electricity, just to pump the water, off the property. Yet, with all this water the 2,400 acre property with its 122 farmers remains un-irrigated, even though several requests have been made to the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) to lay pipes and build out the irrigation system.

“Now it is being said that the water from the Black River adjacent to the property, will be pumped to South St Elizabeth to irrigate lands there, yet Holland with the most fertile lands in the parish is being ignored,” Hutchinson insisted.