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A group of journalists visited the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Dam to investigate the root causes of the dam’s unexpected and drastic loss of power generation capability, which some attribute mostly to climate change and unauthorized human activities upstream.
Dr. Martin Gbonda, a senior official from the Office of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF), led the trip and explained the necessity of firsthand experience with the site’s existing issues.
“We are here because we also want to have a firsthand information about the environmental damage that has taken place around the watershed and the river catchment areas.” Dr. Gbonda said.
“It’s disappointing that we are having unprecedented low levels of water at the dam which have adversely impacted electricity generation and its attendants hardship on residents and businesses particularly in Freetown,”
Dr. Gbonda said deforestation, mining, and encroachment are important factors to the diminishing water levels.
He expressed optimism that the situation will improve with the arrival of the rainy season, and also talked about the need for more strategic and long-term efforts to protect the dam.
The Deputy Plant Manager at the Bumbuna Power Plant, Mengeste Tadesse Gizaw, shared technical insights into the existing restrictions in delivering energy from Bumbuna to Freetown due to low water level. He verified that its capacity to operate at its best is directly impacted by the water scarcity.
Acting Station Head and Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC) representative, Ing. Musa Kabba, expressed concern about unlicensed agricultural and mining around the dam. He said that hazardous contaminants, including biomass, are making their way into turbines, creating severe operating risks.
We are tired of mental slavery we feeling prisoned abroad the as our brothers in Rwanda due corruption, lawless, and poor decision from all the past and present leaders. The development of Sierra leone must not depends in hands of foreigners, like Sierra leoneans cannot think forselve. But to depened on those fake experts, and fake investors. They are all hustlers to rip the country’s wealth for themselves and their various countries. The point is, they will never never i mean never work for the interest of Sierra leoneans nor for the country itself. Give chances to Sierra leoneans experts to go home and work for their nation. Behonest to yourselves, and think to grow rich.