JAMAICA – For the second time in three months, multimillion-dollar restorative work on the Jamaica Yallahs pipeline that was severely damaged by hurricanes Dennis and Emily has been forcibly halted, reportedly by gunmen yesterday morning.
This, according to the National Water Commission, could cause a severe water problem in parts of Kingston and St. Andrew, reports the Jamaica Gleaner.
According to the NWC, workmen attached to its contractor, TankWeld Special Projects, were ordered at gunpoint to stop working on the pipeline at River Head and Cocoa Walk in St. Thomas and this could push back the completion date.
As a result, the NWC said the contractor has ceased working due to threats made on the life of the workers by the gunmen. The commission, in a statement yesterday, said it was “alarmed at this most unfortunate and illegal action that is again preventing critical restoration work to this most important part of the nation’s water supply infrastructure.”
But James Robertson, the Member of Parliament for the area, Monday denied that gunmen had forced the contractor to cease work on the project. According to Mr. Robertson, “That’s a lie, that is dishonest and that is a wicked comment … the inspector was out there and the supe (superintendent) was out there and nobody came into the area.” He insisted that “nobody stopped anything … nobody from the community was out there.” He said the contractor was invited to a meeting with the community in an effort to address the concerns of residents.
Mr. Robertson argued that the people of the community were upset that they have not been told when water will be restored to their community and what will be done to protect their properties from the Yallahs river. “They also want to know when their road is going to be given back to them and when it is going to be fixed,” he said. Now that the rain has started, the Member of Parliament lamented that residents were finding it increasingly difficult to travel in and out of the area.
Work on the pipeline came to an abrupt halt in July when irate residents descended on the project site, reportedly demanding work. At that time Charles Buchanan, the NWC’s corporate public relations manager, said that residents of the area used boulders to prevent equipment from functioning.
The pipeline, which is one of the main intake lines to the Mona reservoir in St. Andrew, was expected to have been commissioned into operation in two weeks. “Failure to quickly restore this pipeline will effectively disrupt piped water supply to thousands of NWC customers in the Corporate Area and St. Thomas,” the NWC warned.
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