Water woes worsen in St Thomas, complaints about illnesses increase 

ST THOMAS, Jamaica – Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for St Thomas Eastern, Delano Seiveright, says that he has been getting an increasing number of complaints about residents in the constituency falling ill from unclean water, as water woes worsen in the parish.

Seiveright noted that residents, including children, are walking for miles on a daily basis to access water at several distant sources.

He noted that some of these sources are unclean, in part due to unhygienic practices where people are accessing water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing, all at the same time.

“Over the last two to three weeks I have observed a big increase in the number of people complaining of having diarrhoea, upset stomach, abdominal discomfort, bloating, and other medical issues. A big part of the problem, I think too, is that people simply are not washing their hands and are not drinking clean water,” Seiveright said.

He stated that residents and businesses “in almost every corner” in St Thomas Eastern, are unable to access water, leading to much frustration. He said it is also affecting parents and guardians planning for back to school.

The affected areas include:  Morant  Bay,  Nuts   River, Dumfries, Church Corner, Lyssons, John’s Town,  Arcadia,  Pear   Tree   River, Port Morant, Leith Hall, Prospect, Retreat, Stokes Hall, Duckenfield, Dalvey,  Hampton Court , Golden Grove,  Winchester, Barking Lodge, Amity Hall, Sunning Hill, Rowlandsfield, Wheelerfield, Bath,  and surrounding communities, Seiveright said.

He blasted the ministries responsible for Local Government and Water, as well as the National Water Commission (NWC), for ignoring the plight of the residents, and lamented the fact that only two NWC water trucks are serving the entire parish during this crisis.

Balford Henry