By George M.O. Williams
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA has established that flooding mostly occurred in August and September in Sierra Leone, thus warned everyone to take precautionary measures.
The Director of Communications at NDMA, Mohamed L. Bah told Premier News on Monday that, so far amid all the downpour of rain, there is no significant flooding or disaster that has resulted to death across the country.
He said that disaster mostly occurred where houses have been constructed in waterways, garbage dumpsites in gutters, illegal sand mining in taking place and in some slum communities.
He added that the direct interventions of agency had contributed to the reduction of disaster in Western Areas thus far, citing that the clearing of drainages, community sensitization and public education on disaster have also helped in flood mitigation.
Despite this accomplishment, he said that the agency is constrained with vehicles and personnel. He affirmed that notwithstanding these challenges, they have being able to work within their mandate and made significant progress in disaster mitigation.
Bah explained that several interventions in risk reduction drive to mitigate the occurrence of disaster has been instituted, where community volunteers have been trained in mapped disaster-prone area.
“Local community volunteers have a pivotal role in bringing to the attention of the agency possible disaster risk activities in their communities,” Bah said.
He said that they have also trained local chiefs and authorities in different areas of disaster management in disaster prone communities for them to have the awareness that they have the responsibility to provide leadership in their community during disaster and reduce the occurrence of man-made disaster.
When asked on the relocation of people living in disaster prone areas, Bah mentioned that the issue of relocation is challenging because you cannot move people without taking into consideration the human rights of people, security and provision of amenities into consideration.
“In a situation where there is no relocation plan, the agency will institute adaption method in a bid for them to adapt in whatever situation and vulnerability they find themselves,” Bah said.