Jamaicans face water shortage

Source: AAP | Published: Friday April 7, 6:38 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica, April 6 - The government announced today that it will start temporarily shutting off the water supply to some areas next week in response to a drought that has plagued most of the Caribbean nation for four months.

On Tuesday the government's National Water Commission will begin 'locking-off' the water supply to parts of Kingston for as long as eight hours a day.

Other parts of the country will follow, Water Minister Karl Blythe said.

The water level at the two reservoirs serving Kingston has dropped dangerously low, with the smaller Hermitage Dam reservoir at 37 per cent of its normal level and the larger Mona Reservoir at 62 per cent of capacity, Blythe said.

The government's Rural Agricultural Development Agency blames the drought for 250 million Jamaican dollars ($A9.95 million)) in crop losses and livestock deaths in January and February.

According to meteorologists, the Caribbean island has received only 56 per cent of its normal rainfall since December with four of the country's 13 parishes receiving less than 40 per cent of their normal rainfall.

Despite earlier predictions that significant rains would begin falling this month, Jamaica should not expect any substantial rain until May at the earliest, said Sylvia McGill, head of the government's meteorological office.

http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0004/07/A54695-2000Apr7.shtml

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 06, 2000