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Peter Knight, Chief Executive Officer of NEPA and Richard Wallace, President of the Negril Chamber of Commerce
There is concern there could be a funding shortfall for completing rehydration of the Negril morass which was the scene of a huge fire days ago.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) acknowledged there has been delay to the project because of several challenges, including the fact that the costs outlined in 2013 when it was conceptualised are no longer realistic.
The agency reported that the project is now at a point where rewetting can proceed and said some funding is in place.
But Peter Knight, Chief Executive Officer of NEPA, advised that the government might need to provide more money if there is a shortfall.
He said the rewetting might have to be done in phases depending on the final costing.
Richard Wallace, President of the Negril Chamber of Commerce, said the business community is very anxious to have the project completed and to get "reassurance that we won't have any issues going forward".
The last incident, he said, was "particularly nerve-racking because it came very close to the road".
However, he is hopeful that raising water levels in the morass will result in fewer fires.
The rewetting is part of the Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States Project, which includes an assessment of the hydrological functions of the Negril Great Morass.
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