Over 50 occupants in 11 houses at Blackie drive, Kandeh town section in Bo, have been affected by torrential rain fall which lasted for several hours in the night of Sunday 22nd August 2021.
The flood victims mainly students, traders, pastors and civil servants have blamed the situation on the Bo city council over poor drainage system.
One of the victims Foday Sheriff, a final year student at Njala University explained that he was preparing to go to class in the evening when the rain started. Whilst waiting for the rain to stop, Sheriff said he suddenly heard people shouting all over the place.
"I woke up very confused. All my educational materials have been soaked. Even my colleagues that live in the same compound also lost their learning materials. All my properties got damaged and some went missing", he said
Foday Sheriff blamed the Bo City council for the flooding adding that, the bridge constructed by the council at Bangalie Street caused the flooding.
Another victim said that before now they were not experiencing such flooding but that the culvert at Bangalie Street was responsible for their current predicament.
Francis Kpakima Bundu Councillor for Ward 271 in Constituency 087 in Bo said he visited the flooded places and sympathized with the victims. He confirmed 11 houses have all been affected by the flooding.
He stated that the flooding was as a result of many factors but specifically referenced the road constructed by T. Mark that he said caused all the rain water from Towama, Bo Airfield and other communities to be directed to the swamp at Kandeh Town.
He also linked the construction of houses in the water beds as contributing factor for the flooding.
Councilor Kpakima therefore cautioned all to desist from building houses in swampy areas, saying it was as a very dangerous thing to do.
The landlord for all the affected houses Mustapha Koroma described the situation as very pathetic. He said he constructed the houses fifteen years ago and such flooding had never happened until now. “When the work started I advised the CA (Chief Administrator) of the Bo city council that the culvert was not fit for that place but they went on with the work. Now it has resulted to flooding", Koroma said.
He said he rented a two- storey building to students at Njala University and that the students are to write their comprehensive examinations very soon.
The Chief Administrator of the Bo City council, Veronica Josephine Fortune was quiche to deny any wrong doing on the part of the Council.
In a related incident, the fence at the Njala University School of Community Health Sciences campus at Kowama section in Bo also collapsed due to the same torrential rainfall.
A security guard stationed there has confirmed to this medium that he has informed the authorities on campus for appropriate action.
Students at Njala University who are victims have appealed that humanitarian organisations come to their aid.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned residents in Bo district not to build houses in swamps. However, people are of the view that tougher actions need to be taken to ensure that there is a halt to the construction of houses on water beds.
While others are calling on the lands Ministry to ensure that those building houses on water beds areas should not be giving documentation, all parties including the victims have refused to accept blame.
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