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.
