News — Snowie Group responds quickly to tsunami disaster
Wednesday 5 January 2005
Survivors of Boxing Day’s devastating tsunami received essential supplies of clean drinking water within just a few days of the disaster thanks to a joint venture between local company The Snowie Group and Scottish Water.
Their fast responses and co-operation meant that 18,000 litres of bottled water were flown out last Wednesday (December 29) from Manchester airport to the stricken Maldives Islands to provide desperately needed supplies of water.
Snowie’s Transport Manager, Ramsay Handy, received a telephone call from a colleague at Scottish Water at 8 o’clock on the evening of December 28, just 48 hours after first reports of the tragedy. He explains:
"They had 18 pallets of bottled water ready to go out to the disaster area. The Department of International & Foreign Development had arranged a flight from Manchester airport the next afternoon to take the water to The Maldives, but there was one missing link. They had no means of transporting the load from their depot in Livingston to the airport in time to make the flight."
Malcolm Snowie, The Group’s Managing Director, said they were delighted to be able to help.
" It was crucial that the water arrived in Manchester as soon as possible to allow time for security checks, loading etc so our lorry left here at 5 o’clock last Wednesday morning. It picked up the trailer loaded with the water from Scottish Water’s depot in Livingston and headed south for Manchester. Fortunately, it was a trouble-free journey. The water was loaded; the plane left at 3pm and it was great news to learn that within a day the much-needed water was helping ease the suffering of the inhabitants of the Maldives."
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster it became clear that disease was the greatest threat facing millions of survivors. Aid agencies stressed that clean drinking water was quite literally the single most essential requirement and that it was needed urgently.
Of the 10 stricken countries, the Maldives has the greatest problem ‘water-wise’ as they have no wells on the islands. Desalination plants provide all their water. Being located on the coastline, the plants were destroyed by the tsunami, leaving the islanders with no supply of useable water.
Everyone at The Snowie Group was delighted to have been able to play a small, but vital part in the massive relief operation.
