By Saikou Suwareh Jabai
As the rainy season draws closer, residents of the Kanifing Municipality and 
passers-by have raised concerns about the possible blockage of the gutters on both sides of the Mamadi Manjang Highway in West-Field. These are the paths that facilitate floods and rain waters to easily pass and reach their final destination. At the moment, there is large quantity of sand and rubbishes of plastic bags and other materials inside the gutters. Residents enjoined the council to help remove these items in the gutters so as to avoid serious flooding in the rainy season.
A Foreign Exchange bureau owner along the highway, Muhammed Jallow, who is a resident of Tallinding, described the Kanifing Municipality as one of the most vulnerable areas of flooding during the raining season. According to him the sand got into the gutters during the council’s recent operations to rehabilitate and decorate the roadsides of the highway. He noted that the council should look into the situation of the gutters as it helps to prevent serious floods which may results to destructions of properties and slowing the traffic.
For one Mariama Cham, a passenger who uses West-Field vehicles on daily basis, the banning of the importation of plastic bags in the country came at the right time as most of the rubbishes in the gutters are plastic bags. She reminds the council of their responsibility to keep the environment safe and clean adding that if the dirt is not removed, the gutter will get blocked as heavy rain comes.
A taxi driver, Momodou Baldeh, also spoke on the issue and narrated past experiences of floods in the municipality. He said when rain falls heavily the taxi garage usually gets flooded with water, thereby affecting their business as passengers prefer getting vehicles somewhere else than the formal garage.
This reporter will continue monitoring the situations of other gutters ahead of the raining season.
Repeated efforts to speak to the spokesperson of KMC, Mrs. Sillah proved unsuccessful. When contacted, she said she was very busy. However, she assured to grant this reporter an interview next week.
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