July 13, 2021
By Aruna Kamara (Bo)
With the rainy season getting to its peak, the Bo City Council has on the 9th July, 2021 started cleaning canals and drainages in different parts of the city.
The cleaning started at Prince Williams Street to the Momoh-Gbortor street axis, Mannah Street to Railway line axis and the Kowama road to Chinese farm axis. The cleaning exercise will continue to other areas in subsequent days.
According to the Information, Education and Communications Unit of the Bo City Council the cleaning of these canals was precipitated by the inhuman activities of man in those areas as they are in the habit of dumping wastes in drainages when it rains; and at places unfit for garbage dumping. This ill treatment of the environment by residents of the Municipality is among the catalysts that creates flooding in those areas which have been destroying the property of many residents.
Speaking during the distribution of working tools to the youths before they commenced the exercise, the Environmental Social Officer of the Bo City Council, Juliana Bah admonished the young people that this drive is for their good and those of other members of their communities; and as such, they should put utmost seriousness in it.
“We are concerned with collecting revenue from you but as a Council, we are equally concerned about the safety and security of your health; your health and well-being are our concern,” she averred.
The Bo City Council’s Development Planning Officer, Haja Halima Lukay called on residents of the City to stand up with the council and frown at maltreating the environment, furthering that the more wastes are dumped in drainages when it rains or dumped in places unfit for purpose there is the likelihood of flooding taking place.
She noted that cleanliness is next to Godliness. So we must take very good care of our environment, adding that human activities to the environment have been contributing immensely to the disaster over the years and so in order to help mitigate such, cleaning the canals is a necessity and timely.
Bo City Council’s Development Planning Officer revealed that clamping down on persons with illegal dump sites across the city will start soon and they will have no compromise but strictly dealing with culprits.