By Nelson Manneh
Tallinding-Coloban residents are dwelling in the midst of filthy, stinking waste water, in an environment not fit for human habitat.
Mr Modou Dibba, a resident of Tallinding-Coloban, has over the weekend informed this medium that some residents of Tallinding opened their compound manholes, making waste water run into the streets.
Mr Dibba said no one can differentiate the dry season from the rainy season in Tallinding-Coloban because all the streets are filled with stagnant waters that come from different compounds within the area.
This reporter visited the said area and saw stagnant waters in the streets. He observed that there were some fences that have channels and dirty water was running out from those holes into the streets.
Many fences within the area have holes and muddy water was seen coming out of those holds on the fence and pouring into the streets.
“I have reported this issue to the Councillor of Tallinding South, but he has never visited the area to confirm what is happening. Many people leave their waterways undisposed when they are full; they don’t decently extract it. Instead they bore holes in it and allow the dirty water to come out and run into the streets,” Mr Dibba alleged.
Mr Dibba said the imam of Tallinding South closed the mosque because of the dirty water that comes out of people’s residences and enters into the premises of the mosque.
“The Imam complained about the issue several times but to no avail, the trend continues and he did not have any alternative than to close the mosque,” he lamented.
He said children within the area always come out in the streets marred by dirty waste water to play around, exposing them to several infections and illnesses.
“Recently I spent a lot of money to treat one of my children. He is very young and frequently goes out in the streets to play. He got sick, I took him to the hospital and I was told that he drank contaminated water. I spent a lot of money to buy medicines for him which is not fair,” he said.
Mr Dibba said many people are not publicly complaining because they fear being blamed or seen as wicked people.
He called on the authorities to fix the problem.
Mr Dibba also alleged that there are some abandoned compounds in Tallinding-Coloban where people normally throw their waste.
“We need proper waste management system, the authorities should condemn such and make sure there are proper or identified places for the disposal of waste,” he noted.
Mr Babacarr Mansally, the Councillor of Tallinding South, confirmed the practice, saying residents open their manholes and allow dirty water to run into the streets.
“This opening of manholes is not only happening in Tallinding-Coloban but in other areas as well and my office is doing all we can to stop it. We have even reported the matter to the National Environment Agency, but still now they haven’t reacted,” he said.
Mr Mansally condemned the act, urging all those responsible to stop it because it is not only causing harm to the children, but also destroying the streets.
