Rainwater: in Senegal, retention basins become haunts of infectious diseases

If President Abdoulaye Wade’s objective were achieved, Senegal would today have several thousand retention basins, one per village or commune. This ambition, expressed in 2006, could not be fulfilled.

Today, only a few municipalities have such devices, which are useful in the short term. But, over the years, most of them have become real ecological bombs. Stagnant water constitutes, in fact, a favorable environment for the appearance of a multitude of bacteria, becomes a den of harmful insects and fills with waste.

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Even young people have drowned in these pools supposed to channel rainwater towards the sea. Mosquitoes thrive and cause diseases, notably malaria. Worse still, venomous snakes have taken up residence there.

So, the inhabitants of localities which have such retention basins in their territory want them to be regularly maintained but also covered to reduce the risks.