Poor waste management renders Barra unclean

Among communities in The Gambia which holds important position in the history of the country is Barra town, located in the Lower Niumi in North Bank Region. Despite its popularity, accessibility and ease to locate in the map of The Gambia, this notable village is viewed as one of the filthiest towns one can ever find in Destination Gambia.

This situation is due to lack of proper waste management as the population grows. People of this important town dump refuse indiscriminately everywhere even where there is sign “No Dumping.”

Several visits to this community have revealed that there is no refuse dump provided by the local authority for the residents to dump their daily generated waste, making the town very unclean.

Barra is part of the tourism development areas; and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture through The Gambia Tourism Board has promised to build an eco-lodge, a work that will start soon.

The same Barra housed one of the important anti-slavery forts in West Africa called Fort Bullen, one of the UNESCO World Heritage and related sites in The Gambia and as well one of the terminals of the Ports Authority.

Niumi is located on the mouth of the River Gambia in the North Bank Region of the country and the people of Niumi were the first people to have a direct contact with the white people in The Gambia with Barra being the first main port of call for the European traders entering through the River Gambia.

Till this moment Barra remains an historical town and a transit point for exiting and entering Banjul, the capital city and other parts of the country as well.

The situation of Barra which needs urgent attention starts right from the terminal gate as one walks through both left and right of the riverside. This exposes you to a stench and filthy environment at a location which should have been a heaven in The Gambia because of its value, proximity to the beach and opportunities. 

The indiscriminate dumping of refuse and waste products at the beach right from the market to Fort Bullen makes the environment stink such that many visitors and tourists to the environment find it difficult to hide their feelings in terms of expressing how disgusting the area is.

Among other generated remark that is useful is that the authority should do something to avert the ugly sight and dirty situation of this important town.