Sewage nightmare for West Kingston residents

Parents in sections of West Kingston are pleading with the authorities to urgently fix the sewage problem that has been plaguing their community for years, saying their children's health is endangered.

When the news team visited Bond Street, where St Anne's Primary School is located, the stench of sewage filled the air, and puddles of murky water snaked through the drains. Residents say that when it rains, the situation becomes unbearable, and many believe the problem stems from the main line running from the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

"Once one pickney sick, it ago spread to other children and even them parents," said Sheldon, a 32-year-old father of three. "A full time now the Government invest and fix it. If this nuh fix, people ago always sick and that's why nuh bed nuh deh inna hospital, because people from downtown always a get sick offa this."

"Every time rain fall, the sewage them overflow. But it even worse because a the main one from the hospital run through the community. It nuh safe, and the pickney dem have to walk through it fi go school," he lamented.

For 27-year-old mother, Shanese Stewart, the situation hits close to home. Her eight-year-old daughter, who is asthmatic, has been repeatedly ill since the last heavy rains.

"Once my child gets sick for a day, she out fi a week. Mi used to feel bad as a parent because she miss so much days from school, but mi haffi put her health first. Her bigger cousin pick her up inna the days when mi deh a work, and when rain fall the other day, she come home with her shoes soak," she said.

"Crossing the road from the school is pure dirty water. After that, mi see fungus start grow between her toes, and couple days later she start wheeze. Mi haffi rush her go hospital."

Stewart said doctors at the KPH gave her daughter nebuliser treatment and told her the child had developed an infection.

"It rough, man. Wi can't live like this every time rain fall," she said.

The problem stretches beyond St Anne's Primary. The sewage network runs from Bond Street down to the end of North Street, close to Denham Town High School, where THE STAR also observed waste water bubbling up from an open drain.

Principal of St Anne's Primary, Trish Francis, told THE STAR that she had just returned from leave and was not aware of students being out sick because of the sewage situation.

"I can't say I've had any reports from parents linking illnesses to the sewage issue," Francis said. "It has never been a major concern for the school body, but based on what I've heard today, I will certainly be keeping an eye out and monitoring to ensure the safety of our students."

The news team sent queries to the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation seeking comment, but received none up to yesterday.