Leslie McLean, Gleaner Writer
GISCOMBE
CLAREMONT, St. Catherine:
COUNCILLOR OF the Sturge Town Division, Winston Lawrence, has slammed the National Water Commission (NWC) for disconnecting several standpipes in his division.
Councillor Lawrence made the call during the monthly meeting of the St. Ann Parish Council last week Thursday.
He said that standpipes were disconnected at Mount Ararat, Hampstead and Sturge Town. The councillor urged the NWC to speedily reconnect the pipes, noting that "many of these people worked in the tourist area, and in order to get water they had to climb trees to get the
precious commodity from wild pines and also from manholes."
Lawrence also suggested that inaccessibility to water could cause a disease outbreak.
Meanwhile, the NWC issued a release on the weekend saying that it had begun reconnecting more than 200 standpipes across the island after a meeting with the major Government stakeholders in the issue. The Ministry of Local Government is expected to pay a $35 million downpayment this week in its efforts to settle an outstanding $100 million bill owed to the NWC.
DISCONNECTIONS
Councillor Lydia Richards of the Bensonton Division said that her area had also been affected. She disclosed that some 15 standpipes had been disconnected in her division, noting that the NWC was requesting payment when many of the pipes were already non-functional.
Mayor Delroy Giscombe suggested that investigations be carried out to ascertain the precise number of standpipes disconnected, and pointed the failure of Junior Water and Housing Minister Harry Douglas' failure to meet with the parish council to discuss contingency measures regarding two wells which were virtually completed.
Secretary/manager of the council, Dorothy Delgado, revealed that the NWC's print-out list showed there were 105 standpipes up to June 7.
