Cans, lots of cans, cans all day long… the waltz of the cans is the rhythm of life in this district of Conakry, capital of the “water tower of West Africa”, where the Senegal and Niger rivers originate and where it rains more than 2 metres a year. And when the taps run dry, the inhabitants dig expensive boreholes, with unknown risks.
A report from Mamadou Mouctar Souaré (Conakry correspondent) for le360 Afrique
In this district of Conakry, precious water is drawn from a borehole. Hopes for access to this vital liquid were pinned on SEG, the Société des Eaux de Guinée. But the taps are dry.
And yet… Guinea has plenty of water, as this official document shows: The availability of water can be summarised as follows: surface water estimated at 226 km³/year (including the shared part) and underground water estimated at around 13 billion m³, to which must be added rainwater: 1988 mm/year on average, unevenly distributed, with peaks of 4,000 – 4,500 mm in some places (Conakry and surroundings). Even in Africa, few countries can boast so much water.
The scarce water supply in the area has prompted residents to dig boreholes. As Alseny Soumah, a Guinean citizen, puts it:
«The SEG pumps are installed in our neighbourhood, but they’re useless – there’s no water. We have to go to the boreholes to get water. And even there, it’s not easy because the boreholes run on electricity, and since there are a lot of power cuts… we’re left without water.»
The situation is the same in many neighbourhoods: you have to dig your own borehole. And the cost is enormous for the average Guinean, laments Antoine Loua.
«In all the concessions where there are cisterns on the roofs, people have to dig their own boreholes. We pay a lot for these boreholes, up to 30 million Guinean francs, or 3,000 euros.»
Using this water has disastrous consequences for the inhabitants. In some neighbourhoods, houses are cracking and the soil is weakening. The side effect of these boreholes is the risk of houses collapsing.
