The Kotu Quarry, which is located on the outskirts of Kotu is probably the biggest slum within the Greater Banjul Area.

This reporter as part of our series to assess the existing community initiatives to mitigate the risk of disaster in flood-prone communities visited the settlement to find out the condition of the slum dwellers and how they are coping with the situation. Many of the residents of the settlement were eager to speak to this reporter in order to explain their plight.

One of them said: “Here, our problem is the big ditch we have in our midst, because during the rains, water from Kotu and Manjai Kunda converge there and it makes our settlement prone to flooding. Last year alone, we had more than a 100 buildings that collapsed as a result of the floods.” Apart from the stinking stagnant water that surrounds the community, the place is also heavily littered with garbage. Residents blame the high concentration of garbage in the community on the surrounding towns namely, Manjai Kunda, mainland Kotu itself, and the National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) which has its power station near the slum.

 “Last year we suffered seriously here, many of our houses collapsed and properties destroyed, usually we don't experience such but last year was quite different. We have so far contacted our ward councilor to plead for help from the authorities," said one Ebrima Njie, a resident of the community, who disclosed that he lost seven rooms to floods last year.  

Another resident, Alieu Beyai attributed the problem to the fact that the settlement is in a ditch and as such when it rains water does not flow. He also decried the dumping of waste in the community and called for government intervention to stop it. “All what we want is a tractor to be clearing the waste we have here so that we can find ways to dig a trench where water would flow out from the community,” said one Amadou Jatta, a member of the community mobilisation team.

Tombomg Colley, Ramatou Sanyang and Ousman Jarju all expressed similar sentiments and decried the absence of a drainage system in the community as they took this reporter on a guided tour to show him how the water enters their homes. When this reporter tried to clarify if the Kotu Quarry is a legally approved residential area, the public relations officer of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Pa Kalifa Sanyang explained that the council has no legal mandate to allocate lands or approve building plans and settlements, saying it is the prerogative of the Physical Planning Department. He added that the people illegally settled at the quarry.

While admitting that they are aware of the plight of slum dwellers, the KMC PRO said the council often gives priorities to victims of floods and other natural disasters who are settled in legally approved residential areas. He however, stated that the council is doing all it can to combat disaster in the municipality and Kotu Quarry is no exception, adding that even before the commissioning of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) the council used to assist the community with relief materials. He pointed out that the Disaster Agency is now in charge of such affairs.

Commenting on the high influx of waste into the slum, PRO Sanyang confirmed that the council is aware of that but said they are constrained by capacity. He added: "The biggest problem that the KMC is facing is the rapid urbanisation of the municipality. Every day, you realise that the amount of waste that is to be collected by the council is increasing because of the increasing population, but we are doing everything within the limits of our powers to meet the growing demands of the people."