By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
Speaking about their preparedness ahead of the rainy season during which most flooding occurs in Freetown, the Director- General of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Brima Sesay has disclosed that they have constructed drainages in most flood-prone communities in the capital, to address the problem.
"In 2022 we suffered 40 deaths in Freetown, but in 2023 that number reduced drastically to 4," Sesay noted, saying that is due to the improvement in drainage infrastructure.
He mentioned the construction of a 295-meter-long drainage at Water Street in Wellington, and others in the Eastern part of the city, Cobalt community, and Cockle Bay community among others.
The retired army officer said they do prepare their annual disaster calendar which informs them about the time certain disasters happen and how they should prepare to respond to them. He explained how they hold regular logistics meetings aimed at mapping, and mobilizing resources in a bid to respond to a likely event of flooding.
He said NDMA was enacted by an act of Parliament in June 2020, noting that their main task is to prevent disasters, but that "if we are unable to prevent disaster, we try to mitigate the effect of damage it might cause."
Sesay said every year they engage the Meteorological Agency for updates on weather patterns so they can inform disaster-prone communities for proactive evacuation.
He added that apart from awareness-raising through mainstream media, they also forewarned vulnerable communities about potential flooding. He also spoke of a toll-free line 119 focused on disaster-related matters.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (24/04/24)
