The
rains have intensified, and we have started hearing news of heavy downpours
destroying homes in areas like Bakoteh and Ebou Town, with the latest happening
yesterday.
A
few weeks ago, homes and rice fields in Central River Region especially, were
also seriously affected by heavy downpours and floods in and around farms and
settlements in that part of the country.
Put
together, the impacts of heavy downpours could be disastrous, if proper
mechanisms are not put in place to avert such preventable mishaps.
According
to reports, many households or families have already been seriously affected as
houses, foodstuffs, seeds, wells, compound fences and other valuable items have
been destroyed in flood waters generated by heavy downpours of rains
intermittently, over the last four weeks or so.
Farmers
also were recently adversely affected by heavy downpour of rains, especially in
villages like Pacharr, Faraba, Fula Bantang, Taifa, Tabanani, and Sare Molo.
This
situation has sparked fear that as the rains intensify in the coming months
more unwanted realities might occur.
It
is, therefore, advisable that proper mechanisms are put in place to mitigate
and prevent damages taking place in the upcoming weeks and months of intensive
rains.
In
the first place, communities should be adequately sensitised on precautionary
measures to avoid being hit by rain water floods and other climatic attacks, as
a result of the rainy season weather conditions.
People
should also be advised to avoid making settlements on waterways, and proper
gutters or waterways should be developed by the communities to minimize
ineluctable damages on houses and settlements by the rains and harsh rainy
season weather.
Our
farmers should also protect their farms and guard against farms and residences
being flooded by heavy downpour of rains.
Otherwise,
communities could face dire situations and predicaments that could be seriously
dreadful.
Even
though some relief may come from certain quarters such as government through
the National Disaster Management Agency, and some other private entities and
individuals, to alleviate the plight of victims of rain floods and storms, it
is always advisable to prevent rather than to cure.
Our
roads are also not helping matters, as a lot of them are in bad shape, with
gutters blocked and preventing smooth flow of water. Something also must be
done about this. The Chinese are good in fighting such challenges; they are now
our friends.
“Some
accidents there are in life that a little folly is necessary to help us out of.
”
Francois
de La Rochefoucauld
