More houses in Freetown are potential death traps

The recent mudslide at Owen Street, off Mountain Cut in Freetown is a natural disaster that was precipitated by the heavy down pour of rain on Sunday night.

It was a disaster that claimed the lives of fourteen innocent lives. This is a national disaster indeed, but on the other hand, it can be seen as a disaster that was ignited by the obstinate desire of man to stand in the way of nature. It can also be seen as a disaster which was caused by an uncalculated human error.

Of course, as Sierra Leoneans we are not blind to the indiscriminate activities of compatriots who see the better way to life in this country was to reside in the capital, Freetown. This urban influx, an aftermath of the civil war in this country, resulted in the unsightly cluster of houses in places they were not supposed to have been developed for human settlement in the first place.

This recent mudslide at Mountain Cut was not the first natural disaster that perished the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. Between 2008 and 2009, a landslide claimed the lives of some Freetonians seeking shelter at the gutter-edges along the gorge around Akram Metal Works in the east end of Freetown.

Though some people with staunch belief in religion will contend that natural disaster is a mystery being destined by God, yet it can be averted if only people pay proper attention to environmental precautions. Today in Freetown, everybody is clamouring to be a resident of one congested and foul smelling environment that characterizes some part of the city centre, whilst leaving stretch of land up country virtually deserted. Thus, the reason for natural disaster plaguing people living in Freetown will not be unconnected with overcrowding and poor housing, especially in places where houses have been constructed along the water way.

Moreover, as the desire by many Sierra Leoneans to live in the city grows by the day, the inevitable disaster still hovers over slum dwelling areas around Freetown.

This is not to suggest that the writer is being pessimistic about the consequence of natural disasters but God Himself cares for people who care for themselves. Most Sierra Leoneans in their own endeavors to salvage their pressing needs often blame government for not doing this or that, while they remain complacent about the looming problems over them and allow them to cause irreparable catastrophe to their lives.

With regards to what occurred at No. 46 Owen Street off Mountain Cut, it should serve as strong lesson to learn from rather than wait until another disaster befalls us.

The mudslide is an unfortunate event, but we must also realize that some natural disasters could be avoided if only we pay thorough attention to environmental protection measures such as the cleaning of clogged gutters and the eschewing of unwarranted flooding around residential areas.

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