In the Northern City of Makeni, an unprecedented flooding occurred in 2015 wherein, millions of properties were destroyed and numerous people were temporally displaced.
Affected areas of that environmental risk included Magburaka Road, Lunsar Road, Mabanta Road and other streets and communities.
After that devastating impact of flooding, the municipality of Makeni promised residents to construct paved canals along major water routes and other drainages to forestall incoming environmental disaster, associated with altered rain patterns.
Since that pronouncement from officials of the municipality of Makeni, nothing positive has been done regarding this prevailing situation.
As the Office of National Security among other responsibilities is to prevent or mitigate disaster, AYV engaged its Bombali District Office to ascertain his stance on this issue.
In an exclusive interview with the District Coordinator of the Office of National Security Bombali, Samuel Ghandi confirmed to AYV that a looming crisis of flooding was evident, if residents of the Municipality continued to dump solid wastes in drainages.
He continued that indiscriminate disposal of solid wastes has become habitual among many residents especially those residing in the heart of the municipality. Stressing that, they normally disposed refuse in drainages during heavy rains.
Samuel Ghandi disclosed that even though Makeni City Council was working assiduously to have clean and environmentally friendly municipality, some ill motivated individuals are undermining council’s laudable effort.
This odd practice has been a common habit of many residents, especially those residing at the central business district of Makeni, and solid waste management has been a huge challenge in major towns and cities across the country.
“ During dry season , indiscriminate burning of solid wastes takes precedence and this results to lots of health implications including difficulty in breathing, eye itching, while in the raining season garbage is disposed in running gutters or pavements, and this prevents the free flow of water into canals,”, Mr Ghandi emphasized.
Also , Hassan Kamara – a resident in one of the affected areas during the 2015 flooding, stated that indiscriminate disposal in drainages becomes persistence, and uncontrolled, as a result of this the already narrow canals continue to be narrower and consequently forms debris.
Severally, this medium tried as much as possible to reach authorities of the Makeni City Council regarding indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes in drainages to remind them of the official pronouncement assurance made to the people of Makeni for the construction of paved canals, but up to date that statement has not seen the light of the day.
Many residents reached by this press stated that permanent solution on this looming crisis could be sought, when stringent bye laws are enforced to desist from dumping solid waste in pavements and drainages.
