By Adama Makasuba
The Kanifing Municipal Council has explained the cause of Latrikunda market flooding after a heavy rain poured which later resulted to the blockage of the main drainages along the Brikama highway.
“The National Road Authority (NRA) being responsible for these drainages has been cleaning them for the past years, but were yet to clean them this year and the blockage obstructed the free flow of the water thereby causing the flooding at the market,” the Council stated.
“However, it is important to note that the Kanifing Municipal Council has already cleaned over 50 drainages and also excavated in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) canals situated in hot spots areas such as the Sankung Sillah Exchange Point and the long stretch Kotu-Bundung canal which totals to over 30 kilometers within the Municipality,” the Council said in a press release.
According to the Council, the drainages and canals cleaning exercise have been a regular activity for the Council since 2018 and it is fully funded by the Council’s annual disaster mitigation budget.
“These drainages and canals cleaning exercise has been a regular activity for the Council since 2018 and it is fully funded from the Council’s annual disaster mitigation budget. Currently, Council has started to open and clean the main drainages along the Latrkunda Sabiji market to minimize or avert another possible flood,” it added.
According to the Council, it is also working to start the pavement of the road from the main highway through the market to the Bundung-Bambo garage which is geared towards addressing the threat of another flood.
However, the Council expressed its deep sympathy to those affected and promised to work closely with the National Road Authority (NRA) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) to avoid the occurrence of another flood within the Municipality.