President Macky Sall of Senegal is working to find a lasting solution to the floods which followed days of torrential rains, reports said on Wednesday.
To great evils, great cures. The Senegalese head of state announced, Tuesday evening, “an emergency budget of 10 billion CFA francs” following the recent torrential rains that killed six throughout the country.
“Three billion CFA francs will serve as direct support to the affected populations on the basis of reports from governors, prefects and sub-prefects in relation to mayors.
And the other 7 billion to support the firefighters, ONAS (Senegal’s National Sanitation Office) and purchase of additional equipment,” Sall said.
Dakar and the interior of the country have been hit by heavy rain lately. According to the National Agency for Civil Aviation and Meteorology (ANACIM), from September 4 to 6, about 20 localities recorded rainfall of 150 millimetres or more.
In Joal (centre), 230 millimetres of rainfall were recorded.
The deluge caused considerable damage almost everywhere in Senegal.
“We have to thank God (for this) rainy season despite the inconveniences. (These rains) will allow us to have this year, in terms of agriculture, bumper crops,” he said.
The latter, upon his accession to the supreme magistracy in 2012, has launched the ten-year programme to fight floods.
Noting the effectiveness of “structural works” built under this plan, Mr. Sall intends to complete it with “a new scheme” and “additional funding.”
In his speech, the President pointed “climate change” as the cause of “floods and droughts.” Faced with this “global phenomenon,” he stressed that adaptation and mitigation are currently “the key words.”
On this basis, Sall called on his fellow citizens to change their behaviour, in particular by “stopping building on waterways” and “respecting the course of waterways.”
ID/cgd/lb/abj/APA