Where Has The Water Gone?

-
Each year during this period (March to April) Jamaica experiences a water shortage. It has now become common place, especially in Kingston and its environs, to see scores of Jamaicans walking in search of water daily as the taps run dry or as water restrictions by the National Water Commission (NWC) intensifies. Our public institutions, in particularly our schools have been severely hampered and in some instances some schools have had to dismiss early due to the lack of water on their campuses. The Mona Reservoir was opened in the 1940,s, while the Hermitage Dam was opened in 1927. Both facilities were built to provide a reserve water supply for the corporate area of Kingston and St. Andrew. However, at the time those catchment areas were built they were able to adequately provide water for the population.  Since 1943, we have seen an explosion in the growth of the population not only for those two parishes but for Jamaica on a whole.

According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, the population of Kingston and Port Royal in 1943 was 103, 713. The same source states that the population of St. Andrew was 120, 067. As a country we have not invested in the necessary infrastructure to adequately provide water for the citizens, given the increase in the population which should have been expected. According to the 2011 census, the population of Kingston stood at 937, 700. Why then do we continue to have census taking if it is that the data collected is not being used to properly plan for the needs and development of the people?  

While we have had some water supply inventions since both dams were built more than sixty years ago clearly more can and should be done to ensure a reliable water supply for the citizens of this country. It is clear we lack proper planning and management in such an important resource.  What is interesting also in the fact that despite the water shortage and restriction water bills from the National Water Commission will likely be for the same amount or in some instances, there might be an increase.

Without any concrete plans in place, it’s very likely that come next year, we will go through this dry phase again. There can be no sustainable development without a reliable and consistent water supply.

Wayne Campbell

waykam@yahoo.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Insecticides, Air Travel And Safety

-
Image
We are not insects, we are human beings. To travel by air is a privilege. Air travel is a costly adventure as well.   Those of us who have been fortunate to travel oftentimes experience some amount of excitement leading up to that moment. This heightened sense of emotion happens to almost all of us irrespective of whether we are a frequent flyer or a first timer. This buzz never goes away regardless of whether you travel economy or first class. However, for some folks there is a sense of nervousness during travel. There are numerous lessons we can learn whenever we travel. For example, our outlook on life is often altered due to the interaction with other peoples and cultures. Once the airplane takes off and you begin to ascend into the clouds, sometimes of altitude unbelievable to those without this experience, one can feel like someone who is imprisoned until your flight lands and you disembark. It is usually at those altitudes that the airline crew informs you that they are goin...
Read more

Vessels of Honour: Celestial Treasures

-
Image
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”- Psalm 51:10. Many of us have a skewed understanding of God our creator. In many instances we believe or are led to believe that in order to be used by God we must be pure and sinless. This tainted view undoubtedly also impacts our relationships we have with God. Having such a distorted view of God and what God demands from us oftentimes lead us into disobedience. The same is true concerning the weight of condemnation. It is for this reason why it is critical for us to spend time in the Word of God which is the Bible. We all need to know God for ourselves. We often make excuses to study the Bible, yet, we will spend hours on social media or hours gossiping people’s business. Nowhere is gossiping more pronounced than in the church. The church as we know it is not a place of honesty. Why do I say this? Oftentimes we turn to the church in our moments of weakness and vulnerability yet, the solace and compassion that ...
Read more

Interrogating Black Fatherhood

-
Image
“What I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children all of our children a better world. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”- Barack Obama. Fatherhood, especially black fatherhood oftentimes is not as celebrated as it should. As a result we continue to hear of the arguments surrounding my mother who fathered me. There are specific roles concerning the sexes and frankly speaking mothers cannot father children, likewise fathers cannot mother children. Indeed as a society we need to move the discussion away from these examples of oxymoron. This flawed premise has been around so long and unfortunately has become normalized in many societies. However, the time has come for us to have a serious and honest discussion as this argument must be interrogated and replaced with a sense of responsibility. In fact, there is one m...
Read more