Central River Region’s commercial town of Bansang was hit by adequate water shortage. Residents are calling for government intervention before it leads to contamination of water-borne infection.
In August, a video showing a yellowish water coming from a purported Gambia water and electricity power-house, Nawec, stand tap in the town went viral on social media creating panic.
Several audios were later shared on whatsapp groups by people appealing for support. They said, they are now resorting to paying people to bring water for them in gallons from a nearby hand pump for their household activities and drinking.
The water coming from the borehole is not good for drinking and the people have now abandoned the Nawec stand taps for the few local hand pumps in the town, which are not sufficient to meet the water need. The colour and taste of the water from the taps has completely changed.
Residents told The Point that access to clean water has been a big problem in the town, noting that even those selling cool water are finding it difficult because they would need clean water for that. “Some people are getting water from hand pumps which are also over fetched,” one of the residents said.
One woman said the hand pumps are too far from them, so they have no option but to pay donkey cart owners to carry their gallons of water to their homes. “Bansang needs immediate help to address this hardship and health threatening condition on us,” the woman said.
Some of the residents who spoke to The Point believe that the changing coloration of the water was due to a polluted water level which, we could not yet confirm. “Even if the water look clean when it is fetched, the colour will soon change as if there is iron in it,” a resident said on Monday.
