Belle Air to get water by December — HAJ
WATER should come to Belle Air by the end of the calendar year, the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) says.
In a letter to the newspaper responding to an article carried in the September 2 edition of Observer North East, in which the residents complained about a string of issues, chief of which was a lack of piped water, the agency said the rationalised water distribution system for eventual connection to the Natinal Water Commission system at Pear Tree Bottom will take another two months. Subsequent to that, it said, the contractors for the building project will install the water infrastructure, a process expected to be completed by year end.
“The rationalised water distribution system…has also experienced delays due primarily to the ongoing process of having to relocate scores of informal settlers from areas slated for the routing of roads, water and sewerage infrastructure in Belle Air 3. This process is taking longer than anticipated, with 31 informal settlers still to be relocated,” HAJ said.
In the Observer article, titled 20 years of no water — Belle Air residents face numerous challenges, residents said the community has been without piped water for the last 20 years.
The HAJ, in its letter, accepted partial responsibility for the inconveniences being experienced by the residents, but contended that they too are to be blamed because they took up residence before the installation of the requisite infrastructure. roadways, drainage, water and sewerage.
“HAJ has had dialogue, including meetings with the community, but admits that the agency has not sustained the communication in the face of ongoing construction works and the inevitable nuisances from such activities,” the agency said.
It explained that Belle Air 1, which has three phases, is among the St Ann cluster
of projects — the others being Belle Air 2 (“brownfield”) and Belle Air 3 (“greenfield”) — being completed under the Jamaica Economic Housing Project funded by the China Ex-Im Bank.
“One of the main objectives of the project was the completion of Belle Air 1, which had commenced under the Operation PRIDE programme, but with substantial infrastructure works left incomplete as the economic cost of the development was significantly higher than the affordability of the beneficiaries, serviced lots were sold and purchasers built and occupied the development prior to the completion of roads, water, drainage and sewerage infrastructure,” HAJ said.
The contractor for the project is China National Complete Plant Import and Export Corporation (COMPLANT) which was tasked to:
(1) Construct the trunk infrastructure for the main water supply system — a 500,000 gallon water storage tank and the main sewerage system, including a central sewage treatment plant to serve the St Ann cluster of projects extending to the nearby Mt Edgecombe 4 Operation PRIDE Project.
(2) Complete infrastructure works in the brownfield projects of Belle Air 1 and Belle Air 2.
(3) Undertake all infrastructure works in the Belle Air 3 greenfield project.
“The first two contracts have been completed and work is in progress in Belle Air 3 under an 18-month contract which commenced in April 2013,” the HAJ added.
The housing agency said too that it was committed to “re-engaging the residents, listening to their concerns, and as far as is reasonably possible, addressing their concerns”.
“To this end the managing director has made contact with Mr Errol Stewart, president of the Belle Air Provident Society and a meeting with a delegation from the community is being arranged. We are hopeful that the issues will be resolved amicably and ask for the residents’ continued patience,” the letter said.