A LOGGING company – Sun Way – is under scrutiny after its recent tree-cutting activities near Beulah Provincial School (PSS) in the Western Province contaminated the Ziata water source.
The incident left the school with muddy tap water, rendering it unsafe for consumption and forcing students to be sent home since last week.
Despite ongoing negotiations by the school with the company to provide bottled mineral water for the school due to the muddy water problem, the response by the company was slow and its provision of bottled mineral water, inadequate.
Speaking to Solomon Star via phone, one of the teachers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the contamination of the school’s water source has severely impacted on the staff and students.
The teacher said the once clean water source has turned muddy, posing health risks to the school community.
He said the school administration promptly engaged with Sun Way to address the issue but ‘unfortunately, the negotiations with the logging company have been fraught with delays and a lack of sufficient action.
“Whilst the school raised concerns about the compromised water source and its implications on the teachers’ and students’ well-being, Sun Way’s response has been inadequate and frustrating.
“The company’s provision of only a limited number of bottled mineral water cartons fell far short of catering for the entire student population and also failed to address the root cause of the problem,’’ the teacher added.
The teacher said the school has emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive and long-term solution to restore the water source and ensure the students’ access to clean water and for Sun Way to take responsibility for its actions and mitigate the negative effects but the company seemed reluctant.
He said parents have also expressed their disappointment with Sun Way’s slow response as they are rightly concerned about the health risks posed by the contaminated water source and their impacts on their children’s academic performance and overall wellbeing.
The Western Provincial Education Authority (WPEA) Inspector, Willie Etopia, told Solomon Star that the authority will inspect the contaminated water source and visit the school.
Mr Etopia said the school administration and relevant stakeholders will need to work together to urgently resolve the situation.
“It is essential that the logging company takes proactive measures to rectify the water source issue, ensuring the availability of clean water for the entire school community,’’ he said.
Solomon Star understands Sun Way is the first logging company to contaminate the Ziata water source with its logging operations.
By ULUTAH GINA
SOLOMON STAR, GIZO
