Honorable
Minister
Last
Sunday morning I went to the Palma Rima beach to take a stroll on the beach to
refresh my body and mind.
This
is a beach I loved so much and had not visited for over 10 years.
To
my utter dismay and worries when I reach the Kairaba Hotel Beach area I could
not proceed any further.
There
was a downward jump of about a meter high that I had to make in other to
continue my beach walk. Due to my old bones I had to turn back with a heavy
heart.
I
was disappointed and saddened to see the magnitude of the beach erosion around
the area. Just before Kairaba beach hotel a two meter wall is constructed five
meters away from the hotel to stop the sea waves eating the hotel fence and
guess what? This wall cannot contain the high waves during high tide.
Honorable
Minister please take a walk and look for yourself at the Kairaba Beach area and
see for yourself the DANGER which if not IMMEDIATELY contain can cause havoc
and the disappearance of many hotels, beaches, restaurants and beach bars.
Honorable
Minister, tourism being our second or third biggest industry with lots of
investments and employment opportunities for the Gambia, it is therefore
EXTREMELY urgent and important to STOP the sea sand mining activities forthwith
if we want to save our seaside environment.
I
know sand mining business operators will not be happy with this advice but
national disaster considerations should take precedence over individual
financial interest.
Failing
which, costly reclaim investments of beach areas shall be undertaken or else
many billions of dalasis worth of hotel investments are at high risk of
destruction.
Honorable
minister from time immemorial beach sand was used to construct our buildings
all over the country. It is NOW high time to spare the beach sand and look
inland for sand for construction purposes.
Honorable
Minister if you fail to act on this dreadful emergency situation we will soon
lose our nice beaches, lose the tourist revenues and employment as well lose
many structures built around the seaside in the SHORT term.
Honorable
Minister, save our beaches for GOD’s sake.
Have
a good day.
Author:
Pa Njie Girigara
