By Rayon Dyer, Gleaner WriterBLACK RIVER:
THE ST. ELIZABETH Health Department has embarked on a one-month mosquito eradication programme, aimed at covering several areas in the parish - among them, the flood ravaged community of New River.
"We will be covering other areas such as Treasure Beach, Parrottee, Middle Quarters, Slipe, Arlington, Mountainside and Knox Wood. We will definitely have to end the programme after the next two weeks, due to the lack of funds," said Lester Beharrie, Chief Public Health Inspector for St. Elizabeth.
Mr. Beharrie also noted that the programme included spraying and oiling of stagnant water in most of the areas where there were large settlements of rain water.
"Where funds are concerned, we have received monies in the past from the South Coast Resort Board and Alumina Partners of Jamaica Limited (ALPART), to assist with the eradication of mosquitoes in the parish," said Mr. Beharrie. He said that at the end of the exercise, his department would need an additional $100,000 to cover other communities in the parish.
He also admitted that the mosquito nuisance was more obvious in areas such as New River, New Market, Middle Quarters and Slipe, because of their closeness to the Black River morass.
