Editorial | Extend water-party ban

Given the drought Jamaica has faced, bouts of showers in recent days, associated with a trough in the central Caribbean, are a welcome development.

It, however, doesn’t mean that the island is out of the woods. Jamaica remains in a meteorological and hydrological drought. Rainfall is still below historic averages and aquifers are too low to be recharged by quick, sharp showers.

Indeed, the two main water-catchment facilities serving Kingston and St Andrew, where over half of Jamaica’s population lives, are well below their rated capacity: the Mona Reservoir at 36.3 per cent, or 808.5 million gallons; and the Hermitage Dam at 44.9 per cent, or 393.9 million gallons.

These conditions, experts have warned, are likely to continue into the first quarter of next year, and perhaps beyond. It’s a feature of the still-developing super El Niño, a climate condition that can severely disrupt global weather patterns. The extreme conditions, including above-average temperatures and prolonged drought, could cost more than 450,000 lives, mainly in poor countries, analysts say.

These are not matters to be sniffed at. Indeed, the global and domestic conditions are to be taken seriously, which is why this newspaper understands, and endorses, the ongoing programme by the National Water Commission (NWC) of managing water it supplies to its consumers and the placement of restrictions on its use. In the current circumstances, water should be used for what is essential, particularly the preservation of life and maintaining hygiene.

SUPPORT

It is against this background that The Gleaner supports the announcement by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), the capital’s local government, that it will decline permits for recreational water events using NWC-supplied water, so long as the drought persists. In other words, water parties, at which NWC-generated water is used, are out.

“Promoters of water-based events are required to provide evidence of their water source where privately sourced water is being used,” said Deputy Mayor Lorraine Dobson at the KSAMC’s monthly general meeting on Monday.

This action by the corporation is, of course, largely symbolic. For the power to restrict the supply and use of water from its systems lies with the NWC. People who breach the commission’s restrictions are criminally liable, for which they can be fined. If they fail to pay, they can be jailed.

Nonetheless, the KSAMC’s announcement is positive. It is a reinforcement of the crisis faced by Jamaica, in which the minimising of whose burden all citizens have a stake.

However, the KSAMC, and other municipal councils, should go further by banning all water-type parties, regardless of the source of their water, for the duration of the drought. For, as Ms Dobson told her fellow councillors, “while privately sourced water may not fall within the current prohibition order, the sight of water being used for recreation while some of their residents are struggling … can understandably cause distress”.

The situation demands more than an appeal to the sensitivity of party promoters. It requires affirmative action by the authorities.

Hailing honourees

Next: Douglas Gr aham

On Monday, as Jamaica marks the day on which it celebrates its National Heroes, 140 people will receive honours from the State, ranging from badges of honour for long service to the Order of Jamaica (OJ), recognising an individual’s outstanding body of work.

Most of the awards, across all categories, are richly deserved. The Gleaner celebrates with the honourees, but especially notes those who have been recognised for their contributions to private enterprise and Jamaica’s business environment.

This year, three people in the latter group will receive OJs, the island’s third-highest honour, excluding the Order of the Nation (ON), which automatically goes to anyone who is appointed prime minister. They are:

● Richard Byles, the former governor of the central bank who previously served as CEO and chairman of Sagicor Jamaica;

● Christopher Zacca, Mr Byles’ successor as CEO of Sagicor; and

● Diana Stewart, chairman of Stewart’s Automotive Group.

The Gleaner cheers this cohort of national honourees but it wishes to note a long-standing, and likely inadvertent, omission from this pantheon of outstanding Jamaicans: Douglas Graham, the chairman and CEO of Palace Amusements, the owner and operator of movie theatres.

At 90, Mr Graham remains active in a hard business which, globally, has been hit hard by the digital technological revolution. But, for over six decades, Mr Graham has remained undaunted, bringing to Jamaica and his movie houses the latest technological developments that enhance the sensory experiences of moviegoers. His company, too, has been able to bring to Jamaica the top movies almost simultaneously with their release in major markets, a significant achievement for a company in a small country.

By remaining on the cutting edge of movie-house technology and in ensuring the availability of the latest films on the island, Mr Graham does something that Jamaican consumers often complain is in limited supply in the domestic market: the consistent delivery of a high-quality product with good service.