Black Immigrant Daily News
As the country continues to experience severe drought conditions, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Desmond McKenzie, says water has dried up in several communities locally.
“Right now the National Drought Committee has been meeting, because the country is experiencing severe drought conditions,” said McKenzie during his remarks at the opening ceremony of a water shop in Mile Gully, Manchester on Friday.
He said the committee has been tasked with finding ways to bring waters to communities that are badly affected by the drought.
“The committee has been meeting to find an answer in helping communities, where water has dried up, to bring water to these communities…,” stated McKenzie.
Desmond McKenzie (file photo)
“… And as a Government, the Prime Minister, Most Honourable Andrew Holness, has always spoken about the need for us to have an effective and efficient water supply to the various communities across the country.
“So, we’re working ladies and gentlemen, to bring water to communities such as Mile Gully and the other areas that are affected,” he stated.
The Government has embarked on setting up water shops in various rural communities to, among other things, assist with the challenges being faced by such residents in accessing portable water.
As explained by McKenzie in the past, the water shop incorporates the storage of a daily supply of thousands of gallons of water that can be placed in large plastic drums to be distributed free of cost in a managed way.
On Friday, McKenzie lambasted persons who have been using the public water shops for economic gain.
“There are some concerns, and if I don’t raise those concerns, my name would not be Desmond McKenzie,” the minister said.
“Apart from people using the free water or the social water that we provide, they use it to establish car wash, they use it for farming, and the one that is most disgusting than anything else, is that they drive up dem vans and load drums of water and go and sell it to people,” he indicated.
“This is not something to tolerate!” declared McKenzie.
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