Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Assembly Member (NAM) for Tallinding, Hon. Musa Badjie, has raised concerns about the severe flooding crisis in Talinding Farokono, calling for swift government action to protect residents from recurring devastation.
Hon. Badjie made the call during an exclusive interview held on Thursday.
“For over two decades, residents of Talinding Farokono have battled yearly floods that damage homes, destroy property, and create serious health hazards,” he said. “Despite being part of a major urban settlement, the community remains without an effective drainage system to protect them during rainy season,” he added.
He emphasized that nearly all compounds along the Farokono lie within a swampy corridor, making them highly vulnerable to floodwaters, noting that families have been forced to abandon their homes or live surrounded by water and overflowing pit latrines, which threaten public health.
According to him, this year’s flooding has been exacerbated by the on-going OIC road construction from Jeshwang through Tallinding towards Abuko, adding that while the road design includes drainage gutters, the construction has been slow, and concrete slabs placed early on have blocked the natural water flow from Bundung and other areas into the swamp.
“The gutters are being built at the final stage, but there’s no immediate way to channel rainwater away from homes. I raised the issue directly with the transport Minister in parliament, who promised to send a technical team,” he disclosed. However, he says, as of now no team has inspected Tallinding Farokono.
“The gutters projects are too limited and aren’t linked to a wider system to move water safely out of the community,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Tallinding NAM states that municipal councils face major funding barriers, stressing that those large projects need capital that local councils like the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) don’t have.
“Though the constitution requires the government to allocate 25% of the development budget to councils, this support has not materialized. The government often blames councils for lacking capacity, but it’s the government’s job to build that capacity and fund these critical works,” Hon. Badjie said, emphasizing that billions are spent on major roads and OIC infrastructure while flood‐affected communities wait.
He warned that unless drainage becomes a real government priority, residents would keep facing property losses and health crises every rainy season. He called for an integrated drainage plan covering the entire corridor from Abuko to Jeshwang and Manjai to protect lives and property. “People here pay taxes like everyone else. They deserve to see real action, not just promises,” Badjie remarked.
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