By: Kebba AF Touray
The residents of Fajikunda have complained of water shortage in recent days.
According to them, they hardly sleep at night as they wake up as early as 4 am, to fetch water for daily use. According to some residents, they walk 2 to 3 kilometers on foot to fetch water.
This reporter spoke to some of the women who were found sitting and waiting for their turns to fetch water for cooking, laundering, drinking and other household chores.
Marie Njie, a woman in her 50s, said she is compelled to stay awake till 4 am, to get water; that despite this ordeal, she cannot get the required quantity of water for her family’s needs.
“It takes ten minutes for my gallon to be filled, because the water pressure is low. I am appealing to the authorities to urgently look into this problem and provide a lasting solution to the issue because this is unbearable and can potentially affect our health. We stay awake the whole night just to get water,” she said.
Isatou Jammeh, another woman who was found at a tap near Fajikunda Mosque, said they experienced water shortage for three consecutive days; that it is reaching breaking point and Government and the relevant authorities need to take concrete steps to holistically remedy this situation.
Lamin Sabally, a student complained that since they began experiencing water shortage started, he has been forced to stay for longer hours to fetch water for bathing before going to School; that this makes it impossible for him to take his bath early.
Visiting other places within Fagikunda and Tabokoto, this reporter saw women and children struggling from one public tap to the other and by extension at the NAWEC donated water tanks, to fetch water. Their struggles draw long queues because of the low pressure from these taps, making them wait for long hours to get water. The residents call on Government and relevant authorities to provide them with a lasting solution to their water predicament.
