SUMMER DROUGHT EXPECTED IN JAMAICA

Jamaica can brace for more water woes as the country is to expect a very dry summer. Usual rainfall during the months of May and June did not occur this year and no rain is anticipated for July and August.

Head of the Met Service in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Evan Thompson said “we would say that you need to prepare for a drought and utilize the conservation methods that we know, conserve the water that we have and at the same time, try to harvest when we do not get our bouts of rainfall. That is what we have to do if we want to survive it”.

Mr Thompson further informed that Jamaica’s secondary rainy season from May to June each year, has not produced the anticipated amount of rainfall needed to mitigate drought conditions during the dry season. Not much rain, he says, is expected before the primary rainy season, which runs from September to October. He said “the projection is for us to be still running at a deficit for the next couple of months”.

Meanwhile, Corporate Public Relations Manager of the National Water Commission (NWC) Charles Buchanan said “there are still concerns over water levels at the Corporate Area’s to main facilities. While the Hermitage Dam has seen improvement, now standing at 84.8% of capacity, the Mona Reservoir is still at less than 40%. He further explained that the prohibition notice that came into force on May 24, is still effect. “The prohibition remains instated until it is specifically lifted by the NWC and the public would be notified to this effect. The main aim of the prohibition notice was to bring home to Jamaicans; the customers of the NWC, the seriousness of the water shortage that was affecting a number of our systems and to encourage persons to take appropriate water-management measures and water-conservation measures”.

[Contributed by Senior News Editor His Excellency Professor Colin O Jarrett]