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A resident of Ewarton and Hugh Graham, Member of Parliament for St. Catherine North West
The Ewarton main road in St. Catherine was blocked on Monday morning by residents who are upset about the lack of water and poor road conditions.
The intersection of Benloss and Jericho was transformed into a mini parking lot as vehicles were used to block the busy thoroughfare, resulting in a traffic pile up.
The residents say Orangefield and parts of Jericho have been without piped water for more than twenty years.
A resident explained that a well which serves the areas was repaired by the National Water Commission. However, the two communities are not receiving the commodity.
"This is how the people are sending the message they are serious. We need water, and if there is no water, everybody is gonna suffer the consequence because we're gonna come out here again and we gonna block it and block it until we get somebody to represent us," the angry resident warned.
The protesters say they have had to be purchasing trucked water, which is costly.
However, Hugh Graham, Member of Parliament for St. Catherine North West, said he was not in support of the protest as the residents were in breach of COVID-19 gathering limits.
He told Radio Jamaica News that a meeting will be held to discuss their concerns.
According to the MP, the National Water Commission is undertaking a permanent fix to the problem.
"Well, NWC had announced that it is a two-year project with four phases, and they have already completed two phases of the project.... So, in my mind, NWC should be on the verge now of putting water to Orangefield. Also, if the water project is not complete, fixing the road in any real way doesn't make sense because then you have the issue of digging up back the road to lay pipes or to fix vibes. And that is why a conversation is needed, not a roadblock," he suggested.