Banjul residents raise concern over water encroaching into houses

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Many families in Banjul are currently in limbo as they are heavily paying the price due to poorly-constructed roads and drainage system.

The main canal dug two years ago has begun pushing water into residences.

The Banjul City Council recently released a press statement, acknowledging that the main ring canal has malfunctioned, soaking residential areas especially on Tobacco Road in smelly water.

The Council however has urged relevant authorities to ask the contractor for the Banjul Roads Project, Gai Construction Enterprise to remedy the situation.

In an interview with The Alkamba Times, Tijan Jange, a resident of Banjul Imam Omar Sowe Avenue, stated that the Government and the Council should put aside their political differences and solve the failing drainage in the capital. He said both have a role to play in this situation for the pumping machine to be fully operational.

He however said government should also ask Gai Construction to come back and fix the problem since the company dug the gutter behind their compounds.

“For two weeks, we are not able to access our kitchen and tap due to flooding and the worst part is that the water smells and not even good to breathe from the surrounding,” he said.

Augustine Mendy, a resident of Ndangan, said heavy rains cause floods and water forces its way from the ocean into their rooms.

Sulayman Njie, another Banjulian, said it is quite disheartening seeing the situation of Banjul especially Tabacoo Road after $35.7 million is budgeted for the roads project.

“These are disappointing results from the Gai Company with the whole millions spent on this project; much efficiency should have been seen.”

Samboujang Drammeh, from Tabaco Road, urged the Gambia Government and NGOs to help them, narrating that some families in Banjul are not sleeping these days due to floods.

 

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Mr. Sainey M.K. Marenah is a Prominent Gambian journalist, founding editor The Alkamba Times and formerly head of communications at the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and Communications and PR Consultant for The Gambia Pilot Program, under Gamworks. Mr. Marenah served as the Social media Strategist and Editor at Gambia Radio and Television Services. He is also the Banjul Correspondent for Voice of America Radio. Sainey is a human rights and developmental journalist who has carved a strong niche particularly in new media environments in the Gambian media industry. Mr. Marenah began his career as a junior reporter with the Point Newspaper in the Gambia in 2008 and rose through the ranks to become Chief correspondent before moving to The Standard Newspaper also in Banjul as Editorial Assistant and head of News. He is a household name in the Gambia’s media industry having covered some of the most important stories in the former and current government. These include the high profile treason cases including the Trial of Former military chiefs in Banjul in 2009 to 2012. Following his arrest and imprisonment by the former regime of President, Yahya Jammeh in 2014, Marenah moved to Dakar Senegal where he continues to practice Journalism freelancing for various local and international Media organization’s including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, VOA, and ZDF TV in Germany among others. He is the co-Founder of the Banjul Based Media Center for Research and Development; an institution specialized in research and development undertakings. As a journalist and Communication Expert, focused on supporting the Gambia's transitional process, Mr Marenah continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a viable media and communications platform that engages necessary tools and action to increase civic participation and awareness of the needs of transitional governance to strengthen the current move towards democratization. Mr. Marenah has traveled extensively as a professional journalist in both Europe, Africa and United States and attended several local and international media trainings.

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