NWA: Highway works won’t disturb Roselle Falls

The National Works Agency (NWA) has said that there are no plans to destroy the Roselle Falls in St Thomas as work continues on the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project.

NWA Communications Manager Stephen Shaw gave the assurance amid protests by residents of the eastern parish, who feared that the popular water stop would have been affected by the roadworks after contractors began removing trees in the vicinity of the falls.

Hubert Williams, councillor of the White Horses division, had also voiced his concern during this month’s sitting of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation. He called for a temporary stop order on works until further information on the plans for the area was provided and approved by the corporation.

The concerns led to the launch of an online petition, which had amassed roughly 4,500 signatures up to press time last night.

“We, the residents of the area, and St Thomas, in general, cannot wait to see what happens. [Roselle] Falls is very central to the identity and pride of St Thomas. As small as it is, it is the first major attraction in the parish where visitors stop and take pictures, take a bath and just enjoy the area,” said community activist Omar Ryan.

Adding that he was empowered by his ancestors and represent the collective conscience of concerned St Thomas residents, Ryan launched the petition earlier this week.

“We need the roads and we need to protect our natural beauties and attractions as well. We will not take one and leave the other,” Ryan said, adding that the Roselle Falls was a symbol of national pride and key to the livelihood of the communities it serves.

“You would be amazed at the hundreds of people stopping there every week. Further, residents from the communities have set up shops and are able to have their livelihoods from the falls, due to the number of visitors,” he said, adding that it was also a source of water for domestic use whenever there is a disruption in the piped supply.

“When water is gone, the falls save many people, especially the residents of Roselle, White Horses and Botany Bay,” Ryan emphasised.

Addressing the concerns, Shaw said that only redial work is being undertaken in the area and that the falls would be preserved.

“The road in the vicinity is wide enough to accommodate two lanes and the shoulders that will be there for increased safety,” he said. “The only thing that will be done is the modernizing of the U-drain that takes the water underground. It will be modernized because the existing channel is defective. The falls will not be destroyed.”

shanna.monteith@gleanerjm.com