PNPYO makes recommendations to ease water crisis

The People’s National Party Youth Organization (PNPYO) has put forward recommendations it hopes will alleviate the deepening water crisis.

PNPYO president Alric Campbell, in a statement on Monday, said while the Y.O. acknowledges the steps outlined by Water Minister Robert Pickersgill in his national broadcast on Sunday night,  the steps are short-term measures.

Campbell argued that there is need for explicit medium and long-term provisions.

The PNPYO President is joining the call for the Bog Walk Gorge to be dammed.

However, during an interview on RJR's "Beyond the Headlines" on Monday afternoon, Basil Fernandez, head of the Water Resources Authority, when asked about the option of damming the Bog Walk Gorge, asserted this might not be a viable option, given some of the technical and geological challenges that would have to be overcome.

Campbell is also rallying the Office of Utilities Regulations to expand the K-Factor Programme to include water security. According to him, this step would secure funds to repel the severe impact of droughts.

He also wants more emphasis to be placed on sustainable community development in areas of water catchment and storage, and also recommended centralised tanks for water storage during the construction of housing schemes.

The Y.O says a programme should be implemented to de-silt the two main catchment facilities in the dry season, in order to increase storage capacity during the rainy season.

The National Water Commission has already announced that it will be de-silting Hermitage Dam.