Work ongoing
The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) is in the final stages of putting four injections wells into operation at the South Coast Sewage Treatment plant.
This was revealed yesterday evening by Minister of Health John Boyce, who was delivering remarks at the official opening ceremony of the Oistins Fish Festival.
Boyce, while giving an update on the plant that has led to sewage spilling out of sewers along a section of the south coast, explained that the wells should provide the opportunity for repairs to be carried out on the affected influent and effluent pumps, which are located underground along the stretch from the Graeme Hall Swamp to the Hastings area.
“I want to personally emphasis the regret of all agencies with responsibility for this unacceptable condition and assure Barbadians of our continued attention to detail and caution to ensure the continued safety of everyone that has been affected.”
Boyce told the audience in attendance that the affected area, between the Swamp itself and the Lantern Mall, Regency Cove Hotel at Hastings has been contained. “Surface diversions for influent flows have been put in place and while some businesses have been taken off the grid and returned temporarily to their own wells, this has helped to mitigate the situation,” he said.
He gave the assurance that from the onset the regulatory agencies in Barbados have been apologetic to the people who have been suffering and sought to work with the communities to alleviate any threats.
“From the first day of this situation, a committee was established under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, including representation from the RBPF, the Ministry of Transport and Works, the Environmental Protection Department, and many others, With a clear mandate to report weekly and to issue public relations statements to assist in keeping Barbadians and visitors safe and aware of precautions that should be taken. These public relations statements have continued. All suggestions and advice from this committee are considered and decisions are taken to mitigate any negative impacts of the situation.”
We in the Ministry of Health for instance, have deployed as many as 15 environmental health officers in the affected areas and have been into homes and business places and restaurants, provided training programmers and distributed notices of best practice given the circumstance. Intensified mosquito fogging programmers are in place and help to eliminate the discomfort and health threat posed by these vectors. Areas like St. Lawrence, Top Rock, Dover, Bath Village, Worthing, Rendezvous, Marine Gardens, Pleasant View and many others are now the subject of intensified fogging programmes.
Additionally, he said that the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport has been fully represented at these meetings and their task is to make sure that visitors are aware of any threats and that vacation plans be rearranged if necessary.
“This committee has never recommended the closure of the south coast. Some businesses opted to close or change operating hours to help deal with the situation. The option of persons or businesses to take legal action has never been discounted,” he said.
Minister Boyce also commended the organisers of the Oistins Fish Festival, the brainchild of the Sir Harold St. John as Member of Parliament this constituency and his wife Stella Lady St. John, noting that Oistins Bay Garden is today one of the features of culinary presentation in Barbados.
“We look to the many competitions which will be held over the next few days, all related to fish or fishing. We are pleased to see the innovations which have taken place and I especially want to congratulate those who would have organised the historic walk of Oistins,” he said. The festival will draw to a close on Monday. (JH)