Ready for the drought

WITH St Thomas being among the parishes under water prohibition orders amid critically low rainfall and soaring temperatures, schools across the parish say they are prepared to weather the conditions, with storage, conservation measures, and plans to beat the heat in place ahead of the start of the new school year on Monday. The preparations come as the Government intensifies its response to a worsening drought that has already triggered restrictions on non-essential use of National Water Commission (NWC) supplies in St Thomas and six other parishes. The prohibition orders, which took effect on August 17 and remain in force until further notice, are intended, in part, to preserve supplies for critical services, including schools.

The Government announced on Tuesday that an additional $500 million has been allocated for the drought response, including $150 million for the NWC to trucks water to schools, health centres, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure. Water Minister Matthew Samuda said the measure is necessary as the country contends with severe heat, reduced rainfall, and forecasts suggesting that conditions may not improve significantly until early next year. In response, school administrators in St Thomas told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday that they have been taking steps to ensure that a shortage of piped water does not derail the start of the academic year.

The metal water storage tank at Yallahs Primary School (Photo: Karl Mclarty) At Yallahs Primary School, Acting Principal Hensley McKenzie said the institution has substantial storage capacity to fall back on should the regular supply be disrupted. “We have adequate storage for water just in case we turn up and we don’t have any water. I have a metal tank that holds over 10,000 gallons of water and I have two 1,000 gallon rhino tanks,” said McKenzie.

He said the school normally has enough stored water to cover almost three days. “Water is not really an issue here, because we don’t have frequent disruption in water supply. So I’m confident that we are set to go back to school,” added McKenzie.

According to the acting principal, the school is also making adjustments for the heat, which has been a persistent challenge. If you notice, I’m preparing some seati…