New water supply scheme for Gravel Hill
GRAVEL HILL, Clarendon — The community of Gravel Hill in southwest Clarendon is to benefit from a water supply scheme, under a Government of Jamaica/Inter-American Development Bank (GOJ/IDB) rural water supply programme.
This project was launched last week, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Water Minister Donald Buchanan and Cecil Badley, chairman of the Gravel Hill Community Benevolent Society. The signing took place at the Gravel Hill All-Age School.
It is estimated that the project will cost about $22.9 million, with the Gravel Hill community contributing a fixed 10 per cent or $2.29 million, through its benevolent society.
The neighbouring communities of Rhymesbury, Ebony Park and Granomy are also expected to benefit from the scheme.
Buchanan told the signing ceremony that the Gravel Hill project was the third to be launched under the GOJ/IDB programme, since the start of the year, with the other two programmes undertaken at Whitehorses, St Thomas; and Cotterwood in Westmoreland.
He charged the community members to display the attitudes and values required to develop and sustain communities and community-based projects.
“Here we have a much-needed water supply and sanitation project, in which you have come together and joined forces with the government to establish and finance. The difference between its sustained success and medium- term failure is the extent to which you the people take it under your collective wing, support it and protect it,” he said.
Director of the Rural Water Supply Programme in the Ministry of Water and Housing, Parshotam Vasudeva, said the programme, which was established in November 2001, was still in its pilot phase and was expected to last for four years.
Vasudeva pointed out that the cost of the entire GOJ/IDB programme was US$12.5 million and targeted the poorest communities in the island.
“The GOJ/IDB Rural Water Supply Programme will develop and execute community-driven water and sanitation projects throughout Jamaica,” he said.
He noted that communities would be empowered to make decisions about the design, construction, operation and maintenance of their water systems, adding that members would also be trained to assume the management of their schemes.