By: Sulayman Waan
The residents of Handover and Cambell town of Serekunda Bartez ward in the Kanifing Municipality have complained over flood and stagnant water in their streets and homes, saying the heavy rain had affected the transportation of goods and services as well flow of market in the area as a result of poor streets and lack of gutter system.
Speaking to The Voice in an exclusive interview, Ansumana Colley Community activist said: “Water has been raining since yesterday, Wednesday as a result of that our entire streets are covered with filthy water. No way to pass without wading into this dirty and muddy water. This has caused so much suffering to us (residents) and passerby alike.”
Mr. Colley added that as a result of the stagnant water transportation of goods and services become a nightmare within the vicinity, adding that they find tedious to convey patients to health facilities as well as to transportation goods to and from the market.
The prominent community activist said all Bartez residents are affected by this dreadful, especially women who also find difficult to run their transaction in the community as they have to wade through the water to go to the market daily, adding wadding in dirty water could be detrimental to their (women) health.
“Parents have to escort their children until they pass the stagnant water when they are going to school for summer classes,” he noted.
It could be recalled on Monday 25 February, 2019 edition of The Voice Newspaper, these residents called on Government, Non-Governmental Organizations, philanthropists and individuals to help in addressing the decade long flash flood and stagnant water in the locality.
Nonetheless, yet Mr. Colley said the community is a no go zone during the rainy season for both people and vehicles owing the muddy stagnant water in the streets.
“Children within the resident would like to swim in the stagnant water anytime they escape their parents. Swimming in the dirty water could cause health complication for the children.”
According to him, the flow of water from various part of the commercial town that consist of mud in which accumulated waste and remains of living organism is undergoing decomposition in the streets of which gasses are produce. He said these effects are damaging to the environment, health, economic and social condition the masses.
Louise A. Njagne, vendor at Handover Street described the situation of the community as terrible, saying the heavy down pour of water had affected the residents seriously as there is no road within the vicinity that people can pass through without wadding in stagnant water.
“All the rainy water around Serekunda car pack often accumulates in Bartez ward particularly in Handover and Cambell Town Streets due to lack of gutter system in the community. This is affecting us seriously,” she argued.
Mrs. Njagne revealed that since last Monday she didn’t sell her products as a result of how water is accumulated in the streets due to lack of gutter system.
“We (residents) had approach KMC since the dry season to come to our aid but no respond is seen yet,” she lamented.
Even the KMC cleansing service truck was coming here to collect our garbage but it stops due to the mud and stagnant in the community, she said.
Another resident who prefers anonymity also told this medium that the condition of the Handover and Cambell town streets are increasingly and gradually getting worst yearly compare to the previous years while suggesting for changes to better.
Meanwhile, they all called on Government, NGOs, and philanthropists to come to their aid so as to improve their living standard as they described the situation of the community as in defy condition.