Patricia Green | The overflowing stinky mess

“...Fire deh a mus-mus tail him t’ink a cool breeze...,” is a famous Jamaican proverb of caution. Here the mouse [mus-mus] is actually in a fire, yet he is thinking it is cool tropical breeze. All Jamaicans should know that construction development is to be governed by the availability of central sewerage systems under the authority of the National Water Commission (NWC).

The Town and Country Planning, Kingston and St Andrew and the Pedro Cays Provisional Development Order (PDO) 2017 Section 16(1)(k) says that the local planning authority, BEFORE granting permission for development, shall consult with the NWC. My research on central sewerage systems listed in the PDO for the 19 Local Planning Areas (LPA), shows:

1) Barbican: majority un-sewered with development limited to terrain and access to central sewage.

2) Cargill Lands: central sewage exists.

3) Constant Spring Gardens: some sewered; remaining projected by year 2020.

4) Cross Roads: less than half.

5) Eastwood Park Gardens: not fully covered.

6) Half-Way Tree: in most sections.

7) Liguanea: some sections.

8) Manor Park: not covered.

9) New Kingston: some segments.

10) Northern Mountain View: no central sewerage in the interior.

11) Papine University District: multi-family developments on suitable sites will normally be considered in centrally sewered areas.

12) Patrick Gardens: omits mention of sewerage.

13) Port Royal: consideration should be given.

14) Red Hills: no central sewerage.

15) Richmond Park: along Maxfield Avenue; others by 2025.

16) Seymour Lands: some sewered; full sewage connection by 2020.

17) Stony Hill: no plans to sewer, NB: recognition of the effects of sewerage pollution on the ground water resources.

18) Southern Mountain View: not sewered; to commence by the year 2020.

19) Downtown Kingston: majority central sewerage.

PRIORITISE

The 2023 Confirmation of the PDO added that the NWC should prioritise and introduce sewer lines because of development pressure across the Kingston Metropolitan Area.

The Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica records meetings conducted by the Infrastructure and Physical Development Committee (IPDC) of Parliament over a sewer line installation by the NWC at Charlemont Drive. These meetings were initiated by citizens’ associations. They resulted in the summoning of senior managers at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (overseeing some 48 agencies, departments and divisions, covering 68 subject areas), presented three entities: the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), National Works Agency (NWA), and NWC.

The Citizens’ Rights to the City (CRC) comprising 29 citizens’ associations and neighbourhood watches, tabled a submission to the IPDC about apparent unregulated developments in their neighbourhoods. At its January 11, 2022 meeting, CRC representatives were invited on the floor of Parliament and waited to elaborate. Sadly, its submission was deferred.

At the follow-up IPDC meeting of November 20, 2022, the CRC submission was re-tabled. However, the committee chair denied the CRC access in spite of references to the relevant sections of the act empowering citizens to make submissions to the IPDC. The CRC submission was never shared with the government entities present for them to respond.

The next IPDC meeting held January 19 witnessed the CRC being denied admission into Parliament, resulting in one member of this committee storming out. Confined to the public gallery only, CRC stood in unison with their hands across their mouths, but were instructed to desist or suffer removal. This was the last IPDC meeting to date.

The records reveal that the CRC was permitted to enter Parliament for the IPDC November 20, 2022 meeting because the Office of the Public Defender, a Commission of Parliament, was presenting a NWC sewerage matter on behalf of the Charlemont Drive Neighbourhood Watch and Citizens’ Association, also a part of the CRC.

Located in the Papine University District LPA, item 11 above indicates that the prerequisite for any development on Charlemont Drive is an existing central sewerage system. Yet, a development was permitted at No.11 Charlemont Drive without central sewerage, and thereafter the NWC dug up the road to enable connection.

EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE

The OPD outlined works discombobulations encountered by the citizens, emphasising the need for effective governance with established protocols to facilitate developments in neighbourhoods which should include community engagement. Questions about jurisdiction for road excavations abounded. Who has authority, NWA or KSAMC? Sewer works resulted in repeated collapse and reinstatement of the Charlemont Drive roadway. The NWC should have contacted the citizens prior to digging up Charlemont Drive. The citizens referred to bills submitted to the NWC for motor vehicle repairs on account of the extremely poor road conditions that persisted.

There were three IPDC meetings spanning twelve months; however, the NWC issues surrounding Charlemont Drive apparently were unrequited by the IPDC.

By September, another community, Acadia, awoke to digging up of roads to connect sewer lines from a development outside its neighbourhood nearing completion without a central sewer system contrary to the PDO sewerage perquisite in the Barbican LPA. Like Charlemont Drive, Acadia lacked notices, with questions on agency responsibility whether it is KSAMC, NWA or NWC, traffic, dust, and noise nuisances, etc. On TVJ News, the NWC was advising Acadia citizens that they all shall benefit from this sewer line. Critically, this sewer was being channelled through an existing narrow winding gully. Gullies fall under the mandate of the NWA. The Acadia Citizens’ Association in the September 21 Gleaner, wrote that during the 1988 Hurricane Gilbert, that gully collapsed and a road was closed for over nine months, remarking “...just imagine if there had been a sewage line in the gully at the time...”.

Are the KSAMC, NEPA, NWA, and the NWC giving oversight to the design, installation and management of this Acadia sewer line? Are they also addressing sewerage of the contiguous two ongoing developments on Roseberry Drive?

The Gleaner reported September 8, 2022, that the Natural Resources Conservation Authority cited an illegal and improper design of sewer pipes in a Manor Park gully at Waterworks, which posed a serious threat to natural resources and public health, amounting to poor oversight of the government agencies.

Following on the approximately 250 per cent salary increases for members of parliament (MPs), the Jamaica Information Service carried on May 22, ‘PM Announces Accountability Measures,’ recommending MPs to use the State of the Constituency debate to outline work undertaken in constituencies. These are to be reviewed by a committee of Parliament, and the public.

What does all this really mean? How effective will be a committee of Parliament to evaluate performance? If the IPDC of Parliament is any example, what recourse does the public have if the parliamentary committees remain inactive and/or seem to disrespect and/or have failed them regarding construction developments across Jamaica?

Patricia Green, PhD, a registered architect and conservationist, is an independent scholar and advocate for the built and natural environment. Send feedback to patgreen2008@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com