Residents of Iron River, which is located in the hills of west rural St. Andrew, filling their containers with water from a small spring in the area.
SCORES of residents from Iron River in the hills of west rural St. Andrew are not getting any water from their pipes. The residents said that this has been a perennial problem. This latest bout of 'drought' has lasted for about seven months. The
residents insisted that non-payment of bills is not the cause of their water woes.
One senior citizen, who has lived in the community for more than 18 years, confessed that he waits with bated breath for the 'tears from the sky' - rainfall. "Mi no depen pon pipe water. When rain fall mi set mi bucket. If mi depen pon it (piped water) mi dead."
Fortunately, the residents said that they get frequent rainfall. "Thank God for that," the senior citizen quipped.
Women and children are sometimes forced to bathe in a river or a small spring in the community.
Those who can afford it purchase tanks to store water. One lady said that it costs her family $7,500 monthly to refill her tanks. Those who cannot afford tanks use old drums and other empty containers to store water.
SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION:
If water is life, as the National Water Commission's (NWC) slogan says, then the people of Iron River are dying; but they continue to fight for survival. The pipes in their homes have been dry for months.
Once in a blue moon does the sole standpipe in the community serve its purpose. The residents believe that they have been forgotten by the powers that be. The lengths residents go to fill their vessels is dangerous and extremely difficult. The Gleaner was taken on a trek through a sloping, treacherous terrain that leads to a small spring where the vessels are filled.
A precipice is to one side of a small track. A little lean to that side could cause some serious injuries or possibly death.
The journey to and fro took about half of an hour. The trek up the terrain with a bucket of water proved a formidable task that left me with an aching back. Just imagine then the women who must make this treacherous trip at least twice per day, and the men who sometimes do six or seven trips a day. Children are not exempt. They too have to take the journey. Wendy Smith-McFarlane, a resident, said that even while she was pregnant she was forced to take the 'water walk' to the faithful spring.
Cebert Smith, another resident, said that his wife had to take their clothes to her workplace in the Corporate Area to get them washed. Things are really bad.
WHAT'S THE STATUS?
Charles Buchanan, corporate public relations manager at the NWC, told The Gleaner that there could be a number of explanations for the 'drought' being experienced by the Iron River residents. He said that most of west rural St. Andrew is connected to systems that are small and drought prone. He lamented that last year the systems were devastated by the adverse weather
conditions and some of infrastructure has only been partially repaired. Mr. Buchanan promised to look into the matter to decipher the cause.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?
The National Water Commission (NWC). E.G. Hunter is president of the NWC, while Richard Byles sits as chairman.
CONCLUSION
It is inhumane to have people hunting for a basic necessity like scavengers. It is sad and sick when people cannot recall the last time that they saw water coming through pipes they spent their hard-earned money to install. The adverse
situation must be remedied immediately. All the stops must be pulled to ensure that the women, children and men of Iron River have water flowing through their pipes.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Tell us about problems in your community. We will visit and help to lobby for action.
Write to: Tyrone Reid, the Gleaner Company Ltd., 7 North Street, P.O. Box 40, Kingston;
Fax: 922-6223, Telephone: 922-3400 Ext. 6364 or Email: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com.
