Last night, we showed you what the Environment Minister of State, Dr. Omar Figueroa, had to say about the slow process of reversing the pollution of the New River in Orange Walk.
They continue to stress that their pilot project of oxygenating the river using mechanical aerators is having a positive impact.
They also keep stressing that anything which disturbs the river's water surface will cause the foul odor to intensify. That's exactly what happened earlier this week when it rained heavily in the town.
It was a welcomed relief from the intense, months-long drought, but because of the state of the river, the rains are now a blessing and a curse. And on Wednesday, the teaching staff and the student body at La Inmaculada Primary School experienced that first hand.
The river's foul odors wafted into the compound, and students and teachers to start getting sick. So, in response, the school and the Ministry of Education have decided that they will start classes earlier in the morning, and they will end the school day earlier in the afternoon. They say that the afternoon hours are when the river's stench is at its worst, and so, they feel that this change in schedule will make the situation more bearable.
We spoke with the Principal about its implementation today:
Lenny Umana - Principal, La Inmaculada RC
"We have been back in school since September 11th. We were basically still on observation, but this Wednesday, here, we had a really serious issue after lunchtime. The heavy rains had fallen, and then the fumes and the gases, I think, started coming out very strongly. And it started really impacting the conditions of the teachers and the students here at school. The matter was very serious in the sense that the kids were feeling ill. The teachers now were reporting feeling very ill. And at that moment, we were also having a parent meeting with a group of about 200-300 parents, who were also not feeling too well in that auditorium. And they were the ones who started saying that we need to do something about this. I was glad that they were here, so they know what we're experiencing at school. It's not something that is here every day, but that particular day, it really hit us hard. I think our request has been as a school, and I think even the Health Department is aware of it, that the afternoon parts of the day are the worse for us. So, I am so glad that the Ministry of Education granted us the permission to have us coming in at 8 in the morning, and dismiss children by 1:30 in the afternoon, still meeting the 5 and a half hours expected for contact time with the students."
"It's not easy. Doing that morning session, if it does not work - we're going to give it some time. If it does not work, then we will have to consider a second option, which is doing a shift system with a school that could host a large population like us."
"The parents are cooperating. Some of them have voiced their concerns that they would prefer to keep their kids at home. I fully agree with that decision as well. They are the parents. They call the last shots when it comes to their children. The school also tries to find ways how to assist these children who, because of their health conditions, cannot make it. We are on a working basis with the parents on this."
"I know that the Ministry of Health and of the Environment has told us that this is until I don't know when. So, we will be operating in this system as long as we possibly can, here at school."
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