Additional $150 Million to be Spent on Response to Drought

The Government will be spending an additional $150 million to bolster the response to the ongoing drought that the country is experiencing.

Making the announcement, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, said the allocation will be used to provide water for essential services as well as severely affected communities.

The Minister was speaking at today’s (September 13) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St. Andrew.

Of the sum, $80 million will go to the National Water Commission (NWC) to increase trucking to critical areas, including hospitals, schools, health centres, homes for the aged as well as communities.

Additionally, Senator Samuda said $10 million will go to the National Irrigation Commission to carry out water trucking activities in the hills of St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. Mary and St. Ann.

The remaining $60 million will go to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development to increase its support to local communities in the parishes most severely impacted by the drought conditions.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said the money will go a far way in providing some level of relief and support in the affected parishes.

He noted that the Ministry has been working closely with the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in addressing some of the water needs of residents.

“We have just concluded the construction of a major facility in St. Elizabeth. Quite recently, we opened the largest water shop built, so far, a 30,000-gallon facility in Manchester, and we are looking now to commence work on a new facility in the parish of Clarendon,” the Minister said.

He added that the Ministries of Local Government and Community Development and Economic Growth and Job Creation will be collaborating on a black tank programme for five parishes that are severely affected by the water crisis.

Mr. McKenzie informed that the programme is expected to be rolled out in the middle of October, noting that the tanks will be distributed through the Municipal Corporations.

The Minister pointed out that the needs assessment survey is being undertaken to identify beneficiaries.

“We are not just getting the tanks and issuing the tanks; it is based on investigations and a needs basis,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. McKenzie said due to the lack of investment in the country’s water infrastructure over the decades “we are seeing serious problems in various communities in downtown Kingston, so we have provided financial support to the constituencies of South St. Andrew, South West St. Andrew, Central Kingston and West Kingston for the trucking of water”.

“We will continue to do that while working with the National Water Commission in finding the answers, and I think we are reaching there because the pipeline that has been laid on Spanish Town Road, once that line is fully activated, it will bring some relief to the people in downtown Kingston,” he said.

Several parishes are affected by the meteorological drought. Meteorological drought is based on the degree of dryness or rainfall deficit and the length of the dry period.

Locally, the onset and the duration of a meteorological drought is determined by comparing the average rainfall over a period of two consecutive months with the 30-year historical averages (normal) for a similar bimonthly period for each parish and the island.