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Thursday, March 11, 2010

No Water!!!


I am sure by now everyone has heard the saying, "Water is life". How true this statement is! The people of Kingston Jamaica have been seeing the reality of this more and more every day as this unusually long drought drags on. Residents and workers in the metropolitan region feel this more when it comes to piped water.

Since last year a lot of persons, myself included, have been living with water restrictions which seem to be getting even more stringent in the past months. When the first restriction was implemented, water was locked off at 10pm. a few months later it moved to 9pm, then to 8pm and then even to 7pm! Up to a few months ago it moved up to 5pm then to 4pm and now I have no piped water as early as 2pm! This is getting ridiculous now! And at this rate it seems we will be only having water for a few hours per day. I know it's a drought and we as humans have no control over that, but this problem is only compounded by the shortsightedness of the Jamaican governments and the ever worthless National Water Commission (NWC). Both these entities did not see it fit to increase the already inadequate reservoirs for the metropolitan area, which has grown (and is still growing) significantly since these reservoirs were commissioned.

Thanks to both the Jamaican government and NWC, the people of Jamaica are forced to suffer  from the scarcity of this precious commodity. It is true that one never really appreciates what one has until one looses it and I can testify to that. I took for granted the ease of life when these is a constant supply of piped water, but now I can definitely see how precious that privilege was! Now I have to go long periods without the precious commodity much to my discomfort as i don;t have a tank. It's even worse now that I am home most of the time due to this long span of unemployment. This lack of water has now forced me to adjust my lifestyle in so many ways. What do I mean? Well...

  • Every day I have to catch water in jugs and pan before NWC locks off the water
  • I only get to have a decent shower once per day
  • If I need a bath during the lock-off I have to grab one of my 5 litre bottles
  • If I have to do a big number I have to make sure I go early before they lock off the water
  • The toilet doesn't get flushed often (that's putting it mildly) when I have to take a leak
  • I have to force myself to cook earlier in the days before water is gone
  • If I have to cook after the water is gone I have to make do with water from a bottle which makes cooking a real chore
  • Dirty dishes and pots are piled up in the sink until the next morning
  • Doing even the simple things like washing my hands is a challenge
These are just some of the things on the top off my head, but I am sure it will get only worse as this drought continues and the resultant water lock-offs intensifies. If this continues, life as we know it will get even harder and I am sure that cases of gastroenteritis and other poor sanitary practice diseases will surface and increase. We need the rain now, and a lot of it to quench this thirsty land and hopefully the idiots that run this country and the NWC will learn from this drought and it's effects. But then again, they all have tanks and can afford to get water trucked to them, so that's just wishful thinking.

10 commented:

repeat...move downtown! no water problems in my ghetto ^^

Weh yuh seh, place down there renting? Send on the link!

boy stunner the water thing dread fi tru man... and it really look like a pure 'residential area' a get knock.

aaaawwww poor Stunner :o( If I could send you water I would!

Boy just so mi suffering over in Vincy. First time I am experiencing water rationing and trust me I don't like it one bit.

Fall rain!

Gorgeous presentation and really a rare candy info.I am very much impressed on it.Thanks.

Not a great situation, but keep your spirits up, things will get better

I came across this blog as I wondered if there were any news on why the water is being locked off every other day.It is totally aggravating dealing with no water and it just really points to the short sighted view of all the governments that have been in power.

I am just annoyed with it all.

Dude! You have so understated the issue. I am in the process of obtaining a patent for my makeshift shower head.... holes punched in the cap... gravity operated. Hey you can even add hot water to give you a warm shower!

In Hope Pastures we are at twice weekly.. Tue and Sat. Unfortunately I have to be at work when it comes and its gone by the time I get back. Then apparently twice a week is the ideal, not the reality. So sometimes what we get is a trickle on our off day. I now sleep lightly, listening for the toilet tank filling to know that we have some water.

Sorry for the post in a post.

Don't worry, the drought will end in May...so say our weather people.

The next thing to worry about is flood.

I've noticed that whatever happens up north weather-wise [apart from snow, of course], takes place here.

I think it's time we all take stock of how we use, abuse, waste water.