Water Minister, Matthew Samuda. says the government is in the process of installing 100 wayside tanks at strategic locations mainly across eastern Jamaica in response to the ongoing drought.
This, as another measure to create easy access to potable water by residents in areas devoid of adequate water supply.
According to principal director of the Met Service, Evan Thompson, drought conditions have now spread to nine of the island’s 14 parishes.
Thompson says some parishes could see little to no rainfall in a single month if the conditions persist.
The projections indicate that Jamaica could continue to experience dry conditions heading into next year, asituation that has been exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon.
El Niño refers to a warming of the ocean surface in the Pacific, resulting in higher temperatures across parts of the Caribbean.
And, according to Thompson it has still not reached its peak.
Minister Samuda says the government also intends bring an additional 12 loading bays into operation across four parishes.
Matthew Samuda, Water Minister. He was speaking at Wednesday’s post-cabinet media briefing at the Jamaica House in St Andrew.
