Dear Editor,

It is with great urgency that I write this letter to your esteemed offices in the fervent hope that Andrew Holness, the prime minister of Jamaica, will catch a glimpse of it and take remedial action to alleviate the severe water crisis affecting most of St Mary.

When one calls the National Water Commission’s (NWC) office in Port Maria to complain about the constant non-supply of water to the districts of Hopewell, Frazerwood, Mosquito Hole, Greater Tremolesworth, and parts of Highgate, the first thing the NWC representative asks is: Who is your elected representative? Because it, the NWC, needs funds to repair broken pipes and pumps now damaged and obsolete — some from the era of British colonial rule.

Technically, the argument is: We the suffering masses of St Mary must negotiate with our “couldn’t-care-less” representatives to get money to fix the broken infrastructure of the NWC and they in turn will sell us back the water.

The salient point I would like to address to Prime Minister Holness about this serious matter is this: Where does the Government factor in all this? I have personally called the prime minister’s office regarding the dire water crisis in St Mary and his secretary took my messages, but so far, no response.

The underground water that supplies Frazerwood and other districts comes from a wonderful underground spring at Grove, in the far wooded hills of St Mary, where there can be no excuse about droughts.

It would be wise to abandon the political non-performers as the country needs qualified and active czars to supervise the efficient running of necessities to facilitate a better life for the Jamaican people — agencies to supervise water, road repairs, light, garbage collection, farm produce disbursement, homelessness, and last but not least disabled and elderly care and mental illness.

Could appointments to manage these responsibilities be strictly non-political and based solely on experience and qualification? Take a leaf out of the US Congress guidelines for ministerial assignments. Then, and only then, will we see a social hope for Jamaica.

Winston Cohen

krunchepeanut@gmail.com