By Ragan M. Conteh

As mining activities in Tonkolili District increase recklessly, there are signs of it affecting the clean water in the Yele chiefdom and sanitation challenges remain hazy.

Although Sierra Leone is located in the tropics and receives ample rainfall, water remains one of the greatest issues that thousands face in the country’s central district of Tonkolili.

Rainfall is abundant between May and October, but authorities have struggled to capitalise on the natural resource.

Most times, residents turn to boreholes on the land and digging wells on swamps as their primary source of water.

A resident of Patifu Mayawa Village Musu Conteh, says the swamps boreholes is their only water source for drinking, cooking and for laundering.

But, it faces severe challenge in the dries especially months of March and April.

“It is difficult to get water in the dry season, and the boreholes get dried up and we take turns to get water.

Sometimes, we wait for a day or more,” she explained.

As a result of deforestation, and mining activities, the community in Tonkolili is facing a severe water crisis.

She stated that even the Yele river is not spared. Miners have taken a significant part of the river, a major cause of water shortage in the communities.

Achieving clean water and sanitation is one of the ambitious dreams of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

The Government has pledged to eliminate the problem of access to clean water by 2030.

With few years to go, no signs are still seen of overcoming such a bigger challenge — water crisis.

Therefore, as they continue to suffer under these circumstances, for Yele rural settlers are calling on NGOs and the government to help them alleviate the suffering of water crisis in their several communities.