2024-07-05 08:50:00
Lake Sonfonia is increasingly in danger of disappearing, due to uncontrolled urbanization and waste dumped by local residents. Environmentalists are warning about the drying up and shrinking of this gift of nature.
Ydrissa Compaoré, who lives in Foula-Madina since 2011, is an expert in the development of green spaces. He watches, helplessly, the destruction of Lake Sonfonia that he so loved to contemplate. It leads us to the western part of the lake, on the border between the districts of Sonfonia and Yattaya. Looking out over the pond, Ydrissa recalls, with a bit of nostalgia, her first moments on the banks of this treasure: “When I arrived, this lake was a place of rest for me. This is something that we, Burkinabè, are not used to. I am from a Sahelian country and when I arrived in Guinea, I spent time here appreciating it. »
An escape that he can no longer afford today. Buildings were built directly into the lake, with indifference if not for the demands of the local authorities, Fodé Soumah denies, such as: “It was stated that 50 meters had to be left on each side of the lake. His water served us to eat and drink. Nowadays, it’s impossible, it doesn’t flow like before. »
Pollution, contaminated water…
The lake was a source of livelihood for the Soumah family, through fishing, among other things. With the water level low, the big fish disappeared, giving way to the fry. “Before, we could not cross here, even in the dry season. You came here, even without nets, you could have a big fish,” recalls Fodé Soumah.
In addition to the haphazard construction, household waste invades the banks of the lake: plastics of all kinds and even mold tank sewage from the surrounding houses are diverted towards the lake. Big banana plantations and gardens are gone, they can’t resist this sad open air pollution.
“But it is this same polluted water that women use to water their gardens. This exposes them to many diseases such as dermatitis,” worries Ydrissa Comapaoré.
Last April, the Prime Minister, together with the Ministers of Territorial Administration, Environment and Energy, personally observed the anarchic invasion and pollution of Lake Sonfonia. Which, in the opinion of Bah Oury, “is already the result of the shutdown of the pumping station of the Water Company of Guinea (SEG), and an investment of 9 million dollars was made to install it . » Except that no concrete action has been taken yet.
Diarouga Aziz Balde
#gem #environmental #disaster