By Emmanuel Koffa
Grand Kru County – Severe flooding caused by torrential rain has led to heightened concerns over free movement along the 75kilomater road between Barclayville, Grand Kru, and Pleebo, Maryland Counties.
The flooding is particularly problematic between the Gblebo and Newaken Communities, as well as between the Dougbo and Bahwen areas situated in Trehn Statutory District, where rising water levels have flooded the main roads, prompting alarm from residents, especially motorcyclists who commute via this route daily.
The main road which connects critical areas of the two counties is getting increasingly impassable, as the water level rises, displacing vehicular traffic and forcing diversions onto less stable paths, according to our correspondent who visited the affected areas.
Our Correspondent reports that River Jloh has swelled beyond its banks, causing many citizens and residents in affected areas to be stranded, while also being faced with risky travel conditions.
Travelers and road users, particularly motorcyclists, have expressed frustration over this anomaly cause by nature, and are calling on relevant authorities to urgently intervene aimed at accordingly addressing the situation.
They are calling on government agencies to deploy emergency teams through authorities of the Ministry of Public Works to assess the places hard-hit by flooding including between the Gblebo and Newaken Communities, and the Dougbo and Bahwen area of Trehn Statutory District, along the 75kilomaters Barclayville and Pleebo highway, so as to immediately initiate relief efforts for travellers and affected individuals.
“We are calling on the relevant authorities to step in and help us; the motorcyclists, who are using this road,” said Jerome Nyankan, a motorcyclist.
“My brother, this is almost every year business, especially during these rainy seasons. We cannot afford to wait any longer as the condition deteriorates,” a local chainsaw operator, Thomas Young, who is affected by the flooding stated in an interview with our correspondent.
Citizens and residents of the affected areas are also calling on the Ministries of Transport and Public Works to evaluate the situation aimed at finding long-term solutions to prevent future flooding incidents and the risks associated with them.
They lamented that without timely action, the flooding will continue to threaten livelihoods and limit access to vital resources including food and medical services.
Two travelers, Daniel Krausaw and Chris Heaney, jointly lamented the situation, which they claimed happens annually.
“The situation is becoming untenable. Every rainy season, we face this crisis, and it is affecting our daily lives and economy. We need the government to take this issue seriously and provide us with a long-term way out,” they stated.
Many have reported damage to their vehicles and increased risks to their safety as they navigate flooded roads that are often the primary means of transport for goods and passengers in the region.
