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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Jul 2007 : 01:42:08
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Foroyaa Editorial
Threats of Flooding
Houses in the Kanifing Municipality and beyond are experiencing floods as the rain pours with greater intensity. The Department of Technical Services should go on air to explain what is going on.
Our humble opinion is that roads have been constructed without respect for basic principles of engineering. All civil engineers will tell you that road construction should go hand in hand with drainage.
One feature common to a number of roads which have been built is the raising of roads above the level of compounds without providing drains that could empty the water into a river, stream or pond. The major problem of the Kanifing Municipality is that the natural path of the rain water has been blocked by structures and drainage facilities have not been provided to enable the water to flow to areas where they could be reserved for one form of use or another.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) should undertake a study of the wetlands in the Kanifing Municipality. It will discover the natural drainage facilities of the areas. Wetlands can be found from Kotu to Latrikunda, Dippa Kunda, Bakoteh, London, Bundung Borehole and beyond. They can also be found stretching from Oyster Creek Bridge to Ebo Town and beyond.
These wetlands serve as the water reservoir of the area. They were natural receptacles of rain water flowing from the towns. Urbanisation and poor urban planning has led to overcrowding and the transformation of the wetlands into residential areas. One therefore finds houses built on flood plains.
Such natural receptacles of rain water are not taken into consideration in constructing drains that lead to where that water could be emptied. In many countries pools are even dug just to make them water collection points for agricultural and other purposes. Boreholes are also dug in such wetlands to generate water.
There is therefore need to revisit the practices of building roads without drainage facilities. The sooner this is addressed the quicker the solution to the problem of floods.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 86/2007, 25-26 July, 2007
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