By Aji Fatou Faal
People of Mbapa Marega in the Sabach Sanjal Constituency in North Bank Region complained of difficulties after a downpour some years ago left a large waterway in its wake that split the village into two halves and posing huge danger to the villagers.
The National Assembly Select Committee on environment met Balla Nget, Alkalo of the village who revealed that the split is making life miserable as some of the villagers find it hard to cross to the other half.
He said it is impossible to walk on the crack or climb it and it is even dangerous for children in the area who use a culvert to cross to the school on the other side.
“It is even more dangerous when heavy rain starts in the village. Few years ago, we lost a 14-year-old girl in this horrible destruction,” he said.
He noted that there was a heavy down pour and the mother of the girl was trying to save some of her belongings from being carried away by the rain with her 14-year-old daughter but later she noticed that the girl has drowned and was found dead in the stagnant water.
According to him, when heavy rain starts and water stagnates nobody dares to cross the waterway.
Nget told the committee that the bridge was built by World Bank recently to make the school accessible to the children living on the other side of the whirlpool.
“We have spoken to the government about these phenomena but we are yet to receive any feedback from them and we are in dire need for them to come to our aid soon before another rainy season comes,” he appealed.
Hon. Ousman Touray, NAM for Sabach Sanjal who led the Select Committee to the village called on the government to rescue the villagers of Mbapa Marega as they are facing a difficult situation.
The villagers are more concerned about school going children who find it very hard to get to the school during rainy season.
