Pikine: preventive pumping at low-lying points ahead of new rain forecast

Teams from Senegal's National Sanitation Office (ONAS) carried out preventive pumping this weekend at several low-lying points in Pikine, after a weather alert forecast further rain for the week. The operation covered notably the Pikine Nord and Guinaw Rails neighbourhoods, regularly hit during the rainy season.

Pikine is among the areas most vulnerable to flooding in the Dakar conurbation, due to low-lying land and a drainage network still insufficient in some sectors. ONAS positioned motor pumps at four points identified as priorities after flooding during the previous season.

Residents, wary after past years' episodes, followed the operation closely, with some having already raised belongings as a precaution. Neighbourhood associations are calling for more regular clearing of existing drains, alongside one-off pumping interventions during weather alerts.

What the creator verified this weekend: motor pumps present at three of the four announced points, and effectively running on Saturday afternoon. What remains to be confirmed: the actual intensity of the rain forecast for this week, which will determine how effective the preventive setup proves.