Instrument Technician at the Dominica Meteorological Service, Ashar Bryan, has raised concerns over the recent vandalism of the company’s equipment on the island.
She was a guest on the ‘Disaster and You’ program on state-owned Radio DBS this week.
“We did have an incident in most recent times at Concord. So, we have a Water Level Centre on the Bailey Bridge to Concord on the way to Horseback Ridge,” she said. And most recently, we had somebody damaging the solar panel, so it is still working. However, they smashed the glass on the solar panel, I am guessing with rocks or something.”
She continued, “I do not want to make assumptions, but I am hoping it is not children that are doing that.”
Bryan appealed to the general public to educate themselves, as well as their children, “especially when you see equipment that you are not sure of what it is.”
Furthermore, she pointed out that having this equipment in the strategic areas,” is not for my sake, it is for the sake of everybody.”
Bryan explained that if the equipment is damaged, the data they provide to the Meteorological Service to help the public as an early warning system will no longer be available,” to inform you early enough that something is happening… time for, if you are in the area, you would need to make your preparations and move.”
I would also like to add the vandalism of the solar lights on the main roads in the interior and west coast.
I would suggest putting up a notice that says river monitoring station present with a little writeup of is usefulness and even a picture of someone taking readings. that may help educate and inform folks if thy can read. Also put a notice indicating damaging or tampering with the equipment is a criminal offense. May not stop everyone but may be helpful.
The type of people that will damage property for no reason (or for nefarious reasons) are not going to be deterred by “a little writeup”. If these people had the good sense that is required for reading and comprehension then they wouldn’t be doing these things in the first place. What we need i some hidden monitoring system that finds the culprits and when they are found to punish them severely and make an example out of them. That’s the only way these type of people learn and understand.
This is one of our biggest problems in this country and it’s the reason why in spite of a change in government the country will never advance, because we have too many people like that operating freely with no law or control to stop them