Flood Damage in Koidu City
By: Problyn J. Alpha
Some residents of Koidu City in Kono District have accused the construction work between Sahr Lebbie and Ndabundeh Streets, carried out by Ibrahim Jawara the Chairman of the Kono District Diamonds and Gold Dealers Association and prominent business tycoon of causing massive flooding at the Gbense Market after hours of torrential rainfall.
Victims of the flooding, who conduct business at Gbense Market, told our correspondent that although the area is prone to flooding during heavy downpours, this recent flood was unusually severe and destroyed commodities worth thousands of Leones.
One businessman, Albert Komba, explained that the flooding was closely linked to the construction work on the waterway between Sahr Lebbie and Ndabundeh Streets. He emphasized that many traders suffered significant financial losses, especially amid the current global economic crisis. Komba added that debris from the flood remains visible in front of the market more than a week later, with the Koidu New Sembehun City Council yet to clear it. This neglect, he said, not only causes an eyesore but also creates health hazards by attracting flies, rats, and cockroaches.
Komba estimated that over twenty bags of rice and other goods were completely destroyed in the flooding. Speaking on behalf of fellow traders, he urged the City Council not only to clear the debris but also to implement lasting solutions to prevent recurrent flooding in the Gbense Market area during heavy rains.
In an interview with our correspondent, Ibrahim Jawara firmly denied any link between his construction work and the flooding. He explained that the culvert he constructed between Sahr Lebbie and Ndabundeh Streets was supervised by the Koidu New Sembehun City Council engineer and designed to allow free water flow during rainfall. Jawara noted that flooding has long been an issue in the Gbense Market area during heavy rains, independent of his construction work.
“As a God-fearing businessman, I do not take pleasure in anything that disrupts the peace, comfort, and development of our people,” Jawara stressed.
He blamed the frequent flooding on the indiscriminate dumping of waste in narrow drainage channels along Post Office Road, Konomanyi Street, Kainkordu Road, Sahr Lebbie, and Ndabundeh Streets by some residents of Koidu City. According to him, this waste blockage causes water to overflow and flood areas like Gbense Market and the main Konomanyi Park.
It is worth recalling that the Koidu New Sembehun City Council previously received a substantial sum from the former management of Koidu Limited Mining Company aimed at addressing waste management and the recurring flooding at Gbense Market. However, the problem persists.
Efforts by our correspondent to reach the Waste Management Department of the Koidu New Sembehun City Council and the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Traders Union Kono Branch for comments on the issue were unsuccessful.
Pile of waste at the market centre