By Amadou Manjang
Water tunnels or gutters along the Tippa Garaga, Serekunda, and Westfield roads are being cleared by the authorities.
It is the responsibility of the National Roads Authority (NRA) to cover and clear gutters for the water drainage system in the Gambia.
Scores of people have raised concerns over the condition of gutters or drainage system amidst the rainy season. This is because many of the gutters or drainage tunnels are blocked by sand and rubbish while other slab covers are damaged.
Following recent Foroyaa reports on the locked and uncovered gutters, workers from the NRA were spotted removing the blockage of sand and rubbish in many of the gutters.
Many of the spotted workers are believed to be foreigners who are using manual labour to remove the blockage in the gutters.
Speaking to the people, many welcomed the work but expressed dissatisfaction over the late commencement and slow progress of the work. They feared that heavy rain may start before the works are done.
‘They should have started this work earlier because we are already in the rainy season and when rain comes it will bring setbacks for them. It will jeopardize their work,’ Fatou Bah, a vendor at Tippa Garage said.
For Momdou Cham, this will not jeopardize their work but it will affect road users, vendors, and shop owners.
He further expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of the work saying that the authorities need to employ more people to complete the work earlier.
‘They have to complete the clearing of gutters before the rain starts coming and there are already signs that the rain may come any day or any time. They need to speed up the work,’ he added.
Mr Amadou Manneh said he is not happy with the pace of the work, adding that there are so many gutters that are blocked and need cleaning.
‘And I have not seen workers in some areas yet where the gutters are completely blocked,’ he said.
He further stated that he hopes that the authorities will not only remove the blockage in gutters, but will also replace damaged slab covers across the town.
