The Taia River Cries for Help!

The state of our water bodies in the provinces is very concerning to us at the Society on Environmental Pollution in Sierra Leone (SEPSiL) and other like-minded institutions. It is particularly disheartening that the integrity of the Taia River along the Bo-Tiama highway, Southern Sierra Leone has long been neglected by both local and national authorities. This is a fresh water river that has been polluted by continued upstream mining activities that authorities have decided to pay blind eyes to for whatever reason.

Due to the deplorable condition of the water, communities along this river no longer enjoy the ecosystem services that it once provided, including potable drinking water, improved nutrition through daily consumption of fish and other edible marine species, and alternative income from fish sale.

SEPSiL is therefore calling on the Environment Protection Agency (EPASL) and the Ministry of Mining and Mineral Resources to take prompt action to save and secure the integrity and sanctity of the Taia River. We are calling on the authorities to seek the health and well-being of the communities along this river. The health and safety of our people should be prioritised over economic interest and patronage. Environmental protection is not anything negotiable; it is a human right and a must!