In an effort to develop the country’s water sector after the twin 2017 disasters, the World Bank together with the Government of Sierra Leone under the Freetown Emergency Recovery Project (FERP) has handed over the Babadorie reservoir to its contractors for effective rehabilitation.
The handing over ceremony took place on Tuesday 7th July, 2020 at the Guma Valley Water Company compound, Regent in the Western Area Rural District. In his statement, the Minister of Water Resources Eng. Philip Karimu Lansana, said according to the Sustainable Development Goal, there should be water for everybody by 2030, underscoring that the President Bio led government is highly committed to providing water for the people of Sierra Leone before that time.
Giving an overview of the project, Project Coordinator, Neilford E. W Rose said the project was approved by the World Bank in February 2018 as a result of the August 2017 mudslide disaster.
He continued that infrastructure facilities affected in the course of the disaster will be rehabilitated, adding that the project cost US$11.5 million and is funded by the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone. He also stated that the project will cover the reconstruction of bridges, roads, drainages, the rehabilitation of water infrastructure and strengthening institutional
capacities.
“Rehabilitating the Guma reservoir will take six months according to the spell out agreement, as the money is currently available to undertake the task,” said Mr. Rose. According to the Managing Director of the Guma Valley Water Company, Eng. Maada Kpenge, the Babadorie reservoir treatment facility has been in existence since the pre-colonial period, citing that the oldest facility, commonly known as ‘water works’, used to serve a large number of people.
He furthered that the rehabilitation has three major components, but due to time management they will be focusing on two significant areas. He ended by assuring the contractors – Pavi Fort and HDF Limited – of GUMA’s utmost support. Giving the keynote address, the Principal Deputy Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mathew Dingie, said from 2018 to date a lot of work has been accomplished on the FERP project.
He said the contractors are credible with outstanding track records, adding that he hopes they will deliver a quality job at the end of the year.
Mr. Dingie advised the community people to be part of the project and support the contractors in the process for effective and efficient work to be done.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Pavi Fort and HDF Limited have not only assured the government of Sierra Leone, World Bank and community people of quality work but also of involving them in the process when work effectively commences during the dry season.
The Babadorie water facility at the Guma Valley Water Company compound in Regent was badly hit by the mudslide and flashflood disasters of 2017 that killed thousands of people and destroyed properties worth millions of dollars.
