Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe

The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the island’s groundwater protection zoning policy and system, with a view to establishing a new framework.

As part of a concomitant zoning study, the department will from next month stage five public consultations at select venues across the island.

The sessions, which will be held over a two-week period, will seek primarily to sensitise the public about the importance of protecting Barbados’ groundwater while highlighting potential pollution threats. They are also aimed at providing a forum for residents to give feedback on the effect of the existing zoning policy on their social and economic livelihood as well as facilitating public participation in the decision-making process.

The first public consultation is slated to take place on Sunday, May 17, at the Princess Margaret Secondary School, Six Roads, St. Philip, beginning at 5:00 p.m.  It will specifically target residents of Marchfield, Six Roads, Hampton and Train Road in St. Philip and surrounding areas. Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, is expected to deliver the feature address at the inaugural forum.

The second session is scheduled to take place the following Tuesday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Belmont Methodist Church, My Lord’s Hill, St. Michael. This consultation is intended primarily for residents of the Belle, Licorish Village, My Lords Hill, The Ivy, Waterford, Station Hill and surrounding areas.

Thursday May, 21, is the proposed date for the third consultation, which will also start at 7:30 p.m. Scheduled to be held at the Holetown Methodist Church, in St. James, it invites participation from residents of Molyneux, Trents, Sandy Lane, Seaview and the West Coast.

The penultimate meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Alexandra School, Speightstown, St. Peter. Residents of Ashton Hall, Maynards, Six Mens and Speightstown are being asked to make a special effort to attend.  

The curtain will come down in the consultations on Thursday, May 28, when the final session gets under way at the Valley Resource Centre, St. George. The 7:30 p.m. forum targets residents of Dash Valley, Monroe Road and Salters.

The public meetings are central to the project’s success, and, in this regard, management of the BWA is imploring Barbadians to come out and be fully engaged in the process.

cgaskin@barbados.gov.bb

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