Many of Kindia's spring and river heads have been badly damaged in recent years.

This state of affairs can be explained by a number of factors: galloping population growth, which leads some citizens to anarchically occupy the banks of watercourses and headwaters of springs, the dumping of garbage in rivers, human activities in the vicinity of watercourses, and so on.

Faced with this worrying situation, Kindia's municipal water and sanitation agency is committed to protecting the heads of springs that are threatened with extinction. ACEA director Lansana Fadil Sylla and his team carry out reforestation work every year in an attempt to safeguard the spring heads of Koukou, Kilissi and Lassidanya.

Interviewed in his office on Thursday evening, Lansana Fadil Sylla mentioned the case of spring heads and rivers that have been transformed into garbage dumps.

"For the past 3 years, we've been reforesting spring heads. Last year, we did it for Lassidanya, inside the Keme Bourema camp in the Fissa district; three hectares were reforested there. The headwaters of the Koukou classified forest have also been reforested. It's the headwaters of all the marigots that cross the town of Kindia. We have planted 5 hectares. In Kilissi, 3 hectares have been reforested with the support of the rural communes of Friguiagbe and Molota, plus the urban commune of Kindia", explained Lansana Fadil Sylla, director of ACEA in Kindia.

Defects in a grandiose ambition

"Every year, we budget for the reforestation of spring heads to enable us to safeguard the water in these springs. There are people who look after these spring heads," he added.

Despite all the efforts made to date, some citizens have turned rivers into garbage dumps. In some places, this is a cause for concern.

"We have to recognize that the commune has made a lot of effort. We have cleaned up the beds of 3 rivers that cross the city of Kindia to avoid flooding. People should not throw garbage into rivers and gutters. Everyone must subscribe to the SME garbage collection service", urged Lansana Fadil Sylla, Director of the Agence Communale Eau et Assainissement de Kindia.

Many citizens continue to build near spring heads, despite the authorities' disapproval. In Koukou, for example, the law enforcement officers have marked with crosses on several buildings that are anarchically located at state property.