Scores of drivers in the Greater Banjul Area on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction over linkages of water pipes in the communities.
Among the drivers, Musa Camara said some of the water pipes got busted due to the construction of road undertaking by NRA and this has prompted some drivers to use feeder roads as shortcuts. This is because they found it difficult driving in some stagnant waters caused by the linkages.
He said the linkages have affected their engines and sometimes it can even crack their cars if there is metal or rock in the stagnant water. “Such situations are common during raining season when we expect flood and water on the feeder roads but during dry season we expect the place to be dried always”, he said
Ousman Badgie added that the linkage of water should be a concern for NAWEC because the water wasting on daily bases is too much.
“Although drivers found it hard to drive in such conditions, residents also found it hard to cope with this situation. I never heard NAWEC addressing linkage water issues but it’s their responsibility to settle it out”, he said.
Abi Cham said: perhaps pipe linkage is the reason why most of the places have limited water supply and therefore called on NAWEC to take immediate action for the safety of the water supplies and clear off ways for the drivers.
However, NAWEC Public Relations Officer Pierre Sylva said: NAWEC technicians are going round to repair the damages (busted water pipes) but most of those pipes have been buried for quite a long time which made some areas where there are linkages prone to erosion
Looking at some of the pipes in the Greater Banjul Area, they are on top of the soil. “Trucks that are loaded with heavy materials can drive on top of those pipes and bust them easily. NAWEC has dug and buried some of those pipes and as part of the Indian project 99% of those old pipes will be changed, especially pipes in the greater Banjul area, because, according to investigations some of those pipes are not good health wise”, he said.