By Bakary Touray Jr.
Residents of the North Bank settlements of Essau, Medina Kanuma and Barra are currently facing water shortage in their communities, Mansa Banko Online can report.
The water crisis, according to some of the residents interviewed, is impacting negatively on their daily lives.
The Vice Chairperson of Essau Village Development Committee (VDC), Mr.Yankuba Marong, told this medium that this is the second time in less than two months that they have been facing this predicament.
“We reported the matter to NAWEC Station Officer in the area and he told us that they were waiting for their people to come and see how the matter can be addressed”, he said.
He informed that in their quest to remedy the menace, they discovered that one of the boreholes at Kanuma Station had a problem and those connected to the borehole are affected with the shortage.
The VDC Number 2 posited that if there is a problem, “NAWEC should announce it on radios so that the people know what is obtained on the ground”. He believes that’s essential since the residents pay for the water at the end of every month; failures of which leads to disconnection.
The Essau VDC official held that, if they kept quiet over the matter, the affected people would remain in a dilemma; and that they would subsequently hold them (VDC) accountable and “define the situation as deliberate”.
Mr. Babucarr Mboob is the Chairman of Medina Kanuma VDC. He lamented to this online medium that, this water shortage is affecting them dearly as water is a basic necessity.
“Our people are forced to go to the nearby villages to fetch water, for sanitation and household uses,” Chairman Mboob disclosed.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Barra VDC, Mr. Babou Loum, confirmed that the problem is affecting them greatly. He stated that their wells have salty water, consequence of this, they use the tap water more frequently as it is fresh and appropriate for consumption.
PRO Loum further stressed that electricity supply in their area is on the basis of ”on and off” which destroys their electrical appliances. He had this to say, “We are calling on NAWEC and the authorities to urgently look into the matter and provide solutions.”
In our endeavour to get NAWEC’s side of the story, the Station Officer at Kanuma station could not be reached.
However, when this reporter contacted Mr. Pierre Sylva, NAWEC PRO, he denied any knowledge of the said water problems in the aforementioned settlements. He, however, promised to inquire into the matter and apprise this medium, consequently.
