Rayon Dyer, Freelance WriterBLACK RIVER, St. Elizabeth:
THE MAIN road leading from Alligator Pond to New Forest in St. Elizabeth was the scene of a major, but peaceful, demonstration by residents of the area from as early as 5 a.m. yesterday.
According to Sergeant Kenneth Guthrie, of the Alligator Pond police, the residents were demonstrating against the disconnection of their irrigation water supply by the National Water Commission (NWC). He said the disconnection exercise affected 25 residents, however, over a hundred persons participated in the blocking of the road with debris and stones.
The residents accused the NWC of disconnecting their water supply even though they have paid their bills.
Checks by The Gleaner revealed that a NWC employee went to the community to turn off the supplies of some customers who had failed to pay their bills. In the process, he mistakenly disconnected the water supply of some paid up customers.
The angry protesters agreed to clear the road block, only after District Manager of the NWC Keith Harris arrived on the scene. He told the protesters that their water supply would be reconnected before the end of the week.
He also said that an eight inch pipe line will be laid from New Forest to Alligator Pond over the next few weeks, which would boost the water pressure from the New Forest pumping station to the various communities it serves.
