Rasbert Turner ,Gleaner Writer
George Dwyer, a resident of Orange Field, St. Catherine, parades with empty containers along the Linstead bypass as residents demonstrated against a water shortage yesterday. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER.
SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
SEVERAL RESIDENTS of Orange Field district, St. Catherine, blocked the main road leading into their community yesterday morning to protest a lack of water in the area for more than five years. The farming community has about 6,000 residents.
The placard-bearing residents said their complaints to political representatives appeared to be falling on deaf ears.
"We cannot take it anymore, as a long time wi no get no water inside here and it a frustrate we now," lamented Patricia Anderson. "Wi pickney cyaan go a school and is only pride mek wi caan stand up out here because the water problem is rough."
According to Andrew Okola, personal assistant to Member of Parliament Robert Pickersgill, the residents' concerns are genuine, and on the instruction of the MP, contact was made to State Minister for Water Harry Douglas to arrange for the trucking of water to the area to assist the residents in the short term. Mr. Okola said there are plans to regularise the water supply to the area.
The police later cleared the roadblock without incident.
