By: Sulayman Waan
Cross-section of Gambians have desperately expressed dissatisfaction over the uncovered gutters linking Westfield to Jeshwang, saying the open water channel causes series of accidents as well detrimental to human health.
The approximately 1 kilo metre uncovered gutters situated at both sides of the Westfield –Jeshwang road. People and transportation means travel beside the gutters almost every minutes daily.
Speaking to The Voice in an interview on Tuesday, Gabriel Jammeh, taxi driver described the situation of the uncovered gutters as terrible while disclosing that cars and people often accidentally plunge into the gutters causing serious damages or injuries.
“These open gutters are nightmare for us (drivers) and commuters because vehicles always plunge into it. In fact old people find difficult to transverse gutters due to its situation,” he said.
The taxi drivers recalled that during the last rainy season a man accidentally dropped in the gutter and was carry away by the running water but added that the man was fortunately was rescued.
“The man was about to die as a result of the accident. If the gutters were properly constructed and covered such as serious accident would have not happen,” he noted.
Fatoumatta Jallow, vendor who sells with her children beside one of the gutters also described the condition of gutters as a challenging for her because she had to carefully control her children so that they don’t fall in it.
“I witness many people falling in the conduit especially in the night. People often come in here (beside the gutters) in the night but before they realize the canal is open they are already fall,” she noted.
Ms Jallow recommended that covering the gutter is the only mechanism to address the series of accident that habitually occurred in the area, adding without that accident would continue occurring.
Lamin Touray, commercial drivers said “the odor and heath that’s coming from the ditches is bad for human health. Some people often urinate in the open canal and that affects the people working within that environment such as vendors and drives.
He added that children often enter in the open conduit in search for small fish which he means is bad for their health. “All these things are happening because the gutters are uncovered,” he said.
Babucarr Bah, 85, said letting these guters remain uncovered within the Westfield territory is very dangerous, saying this zone is too busy as many are travelling in the area including blind and children.
The old man said there is need for authorities to work on the gutter so as to converse its serious situation and alluded if the changes is not done people could fall in the gutter at anytime.
Meanwhile, they all called on the Kanifing Municipal Council to concrete the surface of the gutters in order to address the nightmare to ensure easy and safety transportation of goods and service along Westfield- Jeshwang.