Douala drainage system to be unblocked

The drainage in Douala will be unblocked in a few days following the evacuation of people and the demolishing of homes to allow free flow of water especially during heavy rainfalls.

The decision was made by the Douala City Council (Cud) and county districts on Wednesday, June 24. It was disclosed during a meeting that residents are supposed to start evacuating from July 6 so work begins immediately.

All residents with their houses on drainage systems will have them destroyed. The technical facilities of Cud and town council will check before the action is executed. This is to identify those who will be affected by the demolishing after which they will be given 48 hours to evacuate.

Mayors have until July 3, 2015, to form teams that will assist with the operation. The Cud will engage 600 young people who will be added to the trainees already on the ground. The massive cleaning of gutters has also been planned for July 6.

During the meeting with the executives of the various municipalities, the government delegate, Fritz Ntone Ntone made it clear that: “this operation is only for people who have built on the drainage system and those who live within 7m of the area. A map will be developed to identify areas at risk to ensure Saturday’s scenario does not repeat itself ever again”.