Charlestown, Nevis- April 17, 2007
On an upcoming program of “Government in Action” which will be aired on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 8p.m on Nevis Television and rebroadcast on Choice FM and VON radio at various times this week and next week, .Junior Minister of Communications and Works the Hon. Carlisle Powell states that the manager of the water department Mr. Floyd Robinson explained the water situation to the people of Nevis on Tuesday, April 10th, 2007.
The Nevis Island Administration has recognized that they have inherited a water problem which was left unresolved by the previous CCM Government. The present government under the command of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) has been working tirelessly to get the water situation under control.This has been a long standing problem since 1996 and has been that way up to 2006 because the CCM led government, during that time, refused to seek assistance for water from St.Kitts, probably because Nevis was seeking secession from St.Kitts which led to a strained relationship between the two islands.
For years, officials in the water department have been telling the previous CCM administration that the water situation is getting out of hand and spare parts will be needed and more wells will need to be repaired or dug. However, nothing was done to rectify the situation which led to part of the present water crisis here in Nevis.
Junior Minister of Communications and Works the Hon. Carlisle Powell said during the 2007 Nevis Island Budget Debate at the Island Assembly that the new administration of the NRP inherited a bad water situation, “The wells in Nevis are in a very bad state, they have been neglected and full of silt, in some cases the silt have been up to five feet, to bury someone you bury them at six feet, I wonder if they (CCM) wanted to bury water.”
“We at the Water Department of Nevis have recognized that there is a problem in our water system and numerous people in Nevis will be inconvenienced because of this situation. The water department is working hard to take care of the situation and will continue to inform the public of developments.”
The Nevis Reformation Party revolutionized the water system here in Nevis in the 1970’s, by developing modern methods for people in Nevis to receive running water on a more regular basis.