Water stolen from school?

[Twan]

Some 1,600 gallons of water vanished from two tanks at St Andrew Primary School over the weekend, although the Ministry of Education provides the school with round-the-clock watchmen.

The water was trucked to the school last Thursday, after the principal, Beverley Haase, suspended classes for all students, except those preparing for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

When contacted yesterday, Haase could not explain how the water was removed from the tanks, but said she was first alerted to it when the school chef was about to start preparing meals for the students.

"When the cook turned on the pipes, no water," Haase lamented. She said subsequent checks revealed that the tanks were empty.

"There was no need (for us) to use the water on Friday. So we left there with at least two full tanks," she added. Haase said students were now being urged to take their own water to school. Declining water levels at the Hermitage Dam and the Mona Reservoir have forced the National Water Commission to institute water lock-offs throughout Kingston and St Andrew.

[Gamma]

suh ef dem a tief BEACH?!!!

[Jangle]

We are an amazing set of people!

[HL]

...wow!

[Shola]

man a kill pastor inna church, man a kill congregation that stand up out side a church.

Man a jump high school fence and rob 20 students that sit down inna class room and do them work.

Water short, so Y man cyaan rob a lil water from a school wah have nuff a it.

[Mosiah]

My people make me feel so proud!

[MdmeX]

Water short, so Y man cyaan rob a lil water from a school wah have nuff a it.

Problem is the man dem tek all of it, nuh leff none fi the pickney dem

[Shola]

I guess that's y we're ranked as the third happiest nation on the earth.

[Sickko]

The people of Canterbury has been 'taking' water from Cornwall Colege for decades and the other day when the school tried to disconnect the main that lead from our supply to parts of that squatter area we were told in no uncertain terms that if they cant get water, we cant have school.

The MP a Cornwall Old Boy and Minister of Water was told about this and backed his constituents...

[Mosiah]

Dat is what wi come to! Btw, I'm sure the same thing is happening in PNP areas. But it's a crying shame!

[Rockman]

Look, the water shortage affects students too when they are home.
It addresses a very real problem and implies Govt responsibility to providing water....
My guess is the water has already been replaced.



Blessed

[ReggaeMike]

Wait, are you implying that an illegal water connexion is "okay"? And that an MP who is Minister for Water (despite being an alumnus at the school from which water is being siphoned off) supporting this illegal connexion is also "okay"?

How about introducing a legal connection? What's so hard about that? Surely they can just award a contract to Incomparable to build a proper pipeline.

EDIT: And what about the possibility for the spread of disease due to illegal connections? What if the water gets contaminated between the school and the squatter settlement? Would it be okay for the kids to be sick and miss school because of this?

[Rockman]

Look, connectivity has nothing to do with it,I lived in a middle class community, and when we had(community as a whole)no water, we went(even the most moarally inclined amongst us)stole water from the canefields(never understood how they had water when the community didn't)so people that are legally entitled will steal water when they have none not because of their doings.
The minister approach is thereby practical.


Blessed

[ReggaeMike]

Look, connectivity has nothing to do with it,I lived in a middle class community, and when we had(community as a whole)no water, we went(even the most moarally inclined amongst us)stole water from the canefields(never understood how they had water when the community didn't)so people that are legally entitled will steal water when they have none not because of their doings.
The minister approach is thereby practical.


Blessed

No the minister's approach is thereby typical, not practical.

A practical approach would be establish a legal connection. It really isn't that hard, they've done it for other communities, plus it would involve providing jobs in laying the pipes and maintaining them and whatnot. Honestly in a government that was voted in partly on the slogan of "jobs, jobs, jobs" you would think they would be looking for opportunities to provide them instead of support slackness.

A typical approach based on what you said indicates that the Minister wants to live in the DR Congo.

Your example is also slightly different because:

1. Your community originally had a legal connection for which the community was paying for it's water. The squatter community outlined NEVER had a legal connection and has NEVER paid for any water and thus is NOT (and has never been) legally entitled to the water from the school or indeed any water except that which falls from the sky or which others are willing to give them freely.

2. Taking water from a canefield is a bit different than taking water from the mouthes of schoolchildren.Was the water from the canefield supplied by a pipe? Was it supplied by NWC? Or did the owners of the canefield get it from a river or stream or canal leading to a river or stream?

3. Did any of you consider...buying water? Or even talking with the owners of the canefield first? Thereby making an agreement which could stand up in court and legally entitle you to the water from the canefield? Remember you aren't legally entitled to someone else's water. If you paid for water and I also paid for water and I didn't get any water I'm sure you wouldn't say I had a legal right to just take your water, but had I asked and maybe offered to pay a token/small fee then perhaps you might not have a problem with it.

[Rockman]

We did so against the expressed wishes of the operators of the canefields, the water we stole were supplied by NWC.
After a few days without water it becomes the practical approach/expectation,the need for water remains the same for those that do not have any legal claim to it.I agree Govt should run pipes, absence of that practical approach is responsible for the void, hence when a Govt official acquiesce to water theft, he is being practical.
The importance of water is not lost because of commercial issues.


Blessed