Samuda says action plan being taken to ensure that schools and farmers have water

The Government is taking action to ensure that schools, farmers and early-childhood institutions have adequate water supplies amid worsening drought conditions across the island, says Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda.

Addressing the official commissioning of the Bunkers Hill Water Supply System in Clarendon on August 25, he said water trucks will be made available to schools, while a structured tank programme is being developed to assist early-childhood institutions and farmers with inadequate storage capacity.

Samuda said the Government is particularly concerned about the impact of the drought, as the new school term begins soon, when water consumption traditionally increases.

He emphasised that “no school must be closed” because of water shortages, adding that the National Water Commission (NWC) will be resourced to truck water to schools where necessary.

The Minister said Members of Parliament and municipal corporations will also receive additional resources to respond to critical water needs in drought-affected communities.

He explained that the expansion is necessary as existing resources allocated to political representatives are being depleted.

Samuda urged those with the means to use private water trucks when necessary, allowing government-supported resources to reach those most in need.

He also announced an intervention specifically targeting the early-childhood sector, which he described as having been historically under-resourced.

Samuda said he has written to the Minister of Education and is working with the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) to provide water tanks to basic schools and early-childhood institutions that lack sufficient storage.

Preliminary assessments indicate that as many as 1,000 schools could require assistance.

The programme is also expected to target farmers.

Samuda said the measures are being implemented against the backdrop of increasingly severe climatic conditions, warning that Jamaica is on track to surpass the drought recorded in eastern Jamaica in 2022.

He said El Niño conditions are expected to contribute to a significantly hotter and drier period, underscoring the need for the country to adjust to changing weather patterns.

“No year is the same thing anymore,” he cautioned, noting that traditional expectations about rainfall are no longer reliable.

The Minister also pointed to significant water losses caused by ageing and leaking infrastructure, noting that Clarendon loses close to 70 per cent of its water through leaking pipes.

He said investments in Kingston and St Andrew have already cut water losses by half, resulting in the use of approximately 10 million fewer gallons of water daily than in 2015, despite continued development in those areas.

He stressed that sustained investment in water infrastructure will be necessary to strengthen the country’s resilience.

Samuda said the Government remains committed to achieving the national objective of providing potable water to all citizens by 2030 under Vision 2030 Jamaica.

He said achieving the target will require coordinated action by the NWC, Rural Water Supply Limited and the National Irrigation Commission, while acknowledging the financial, infrastructural and climatic risks involved.

He thanked the residents of Bunkers Hill for accommodating the construction of the new water system and expressed hope that his next visit would be to celebrate 100 per cent community sign-up and the development of additional water infrastructure.

- JIS News

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