Foul odour halts some commercial activities in Port Antonio
Published:Thursday | January 28, 2021 | 12:07 PM
Gareth Davis Snr / Gleaner Reporter
An unbearable stench at lower Harbour Street in Port Antonio, Portland has halted commercial activities along that strip .
As a result, the police have diverted vehicular traffic to Blake Street.
Health officials stated that the strong odour is as a result of a broken sewerage main of the National Water Commission (NWC).
Oil and what appears to be sewage has been leaking through man-hole coverings unto the main road in the vicinity of the Port Antonio police station and the Portland Jerk Center.
As a result of the strong odour, the local health department has ordered the closure of at least ten commercial facilities on lower Harbour Street.
One business operator, Fitzroy Curete said that the foul odour has been lingering since 6 a.m. He said the stench has forced the closure of his business place.
“The pit (sewerage) apparently is not drawing. Next door to the police station is overflowing too. I don’t know what’s going on because the whole town stink. It cost us over two hundred and odd thousand dollars to put in dat and it not working, “ Curete said.
Curete, who is a business partner at Portland Jerk Center, was commenting on the NWC new Port Antonio Water, Sewerage & Drainage Project, which according to him, is responsible for the ongoing leakage.
Among the closed businesses are Digicel, FLOW, Best Buy farm store, Seaview Meats Grocery and Season store, VIP Jewelers, Kamals Wholesale, a barber shop, a sports bar, and Computer Tech.
The $1.2 billion Port Antonio Water, Sewerage & Drainage Project was completed in 2017.
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