Water Authority officials in Grenada have been stressing the need for conservation. There has been a drastic decline in rainfall and forecasters say it may be the worst dry season in many years. Klassic Grenada reports that Grenada and other Caribbean islands could expect a 45 percent chance of a below-normal rainfall pattern in the coming months. The Problem is not unique to Grenada as several other Caribbean countries have been reporting drought-like conditions from as early as September last year.
Last October, Antigua and Barbuda’s Met Services said that below normal rainfall in August was the main factor for the current drought which it described then as being moderate. The National Office of Disaster Services said that on average Antigua and Barbuda goes through a period of low rainfall every three to four years. It added that in the last 134 years since 1874, the country has experienced 36 occurrences of drought.
In Guyana, the authorities are holding public discussions on the impact of the dry season. In Grenada, officials have also been doing what they can to address the situation. Quality Manager at the National Water and Sewerage Authority, Allan Neptune spoke of the depleting water levels at the various dams.
More than ten years ago, NAWASA sought to deal with water shortages by implementing a project which utilized excess run-off water from the Grand Etang Lake. And while the company held that source on reserve for the really acute periods of the year, it has been forced to start its pumps much earlier than normal. It is now pumping 500,000 gallons per day from the Grand Etang Lake which is above the average daily quantity which the authority has had to pump in previous dry spells.
Caribbean countries have been implementing various measures to control the use of water as the region experiences a prolonged drought. These range from a ban on watering lawns, to washing vehicles as a means of dealing with the low volume of water in reservoirs as a result of the reduced rainfall.
For more go to http://www.klassicgrenada.com/index.pl/article?id=17783088
Photo of Grenada’s Grand Etang from http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f6/wierd-but-wonderful-things-about-your-country-203721/
