The Mbour Departmental Flood Management Committee met this Thursday at the town hall, chaired by Prefect Amadou Diop. An update was provided on several affected areas.

In front of the Caroline Faye stadium, stagnant water continues to disrupt traffic and affect economic activity. In Oncad Pont, a house collapsed under the pressure of torrential rains; fortunately, no loss of life was reported. In the commune of Nguekhokh, several homes were flooded, plunging entire families into distress. In Nianing, a bridge collapsed, partially isolating certain neighborhoods.

Faced with this situation, the prefectural authority announced the establishment of a departmental staff for daily monitoring in order to coordinate interventions.

This headquarters, coordinated by the prefect, brings together firefighters, sub-prefects, mayors, technical services and social action, and FDS. It will enable real-time reporting of disasters and flooded areas, for a faster response to emergencies.

The most affected areas remain the municipalities of Mbour, Joal, Nguekhokh, Diass, Malicounda, Nguegniene, Ngaparou and Sandiara. Participants also pointed out unfinished developments, particularly at the Diass Canal and the Ola station on the Sandiara national road.

The call for a Marshall Plan

For Prefect Amadou Diop, the response must go well beyond one-off measures:

"The department needs a Marshall Plan," he said, noting that Mbour's population is now close to one million. According to him, sanitation requires heavy, long-term investments, necessitating special allocations for municipalities.

Four MPs attended the meeting and pledged to bring these concerns to the National Assembly.

Obstructions described as “criminal”

The prefect also denounced the deliberate obstruction of pipes by certain individuals.

"This is criminal. It can cause accidents, drownings, and even deaths. Appropriate sanctions will be taken against the perpetrators," he warned, calling on the population to ban these practices.

The mayor of Mbour, Cheikh Issa Sall, recalled that his city, with nearly a million inhabitants and 42 districts, continues to face the same difficulties every year due to the lack of an adequate sanitation system.

He denounced the obstruction of the regattas, seeing them as a political maneuver aimed at incriminating the municipality. A complaint against unknown persons was announced, as well as 24-hour surveillance of strategic sites until the end of the winter season.

MP Mamadou Lamine Diaïté described the situation as "alarming".

"In 2005, Mbour had seven to eight neighborhoods; today, with the population explosion, the population has quadrupled. We need to reinvent the rainwater system and mobilize major investments. Mbour deserves a real Marshall Plan," the MP argues.