WESTERN BUREAU:
THE SUB-DIVISION plan for 55 acres of land, earmarked for the relocation of Roaring River residents in Westmoreland, has been submitted to the Westmoreland Parish Council for approval.
"The sub-division plans are being processed and will have to go to the individual state agencies for their recommendations, before we can sign off on it," said Secretary/Manager Patricia Sinclair-Stair.
She added that a timeline could not be given as to when the process would be completed.
The relocation exercise was proposed as the houses and pit latrines are posing a serious threat to the water quality from the Roaring River Treatment Plant, the main water source for the parish.
The matter has been the subject of a long-standing debate and dispute, with residents opposing relocation, claiming that there are alternatives such as the construction of a sewage treatment plant in the community.
RELOCATION SUGGESTED
The relocation of the approximately 500 residents has been one of the recommendations of the Westmoreland Health Department.
A survey carried out by the department showed that 39.6 per cent of the 80 sealed pits that were built for residents in the area in the 1990s, are now filled with faeces.
In addition, 60.4 per cent of the pits, although not filled, contain faeces and water and levels normally fluctuate with that of the water table.
