By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Guma Valley Water Company, in collaboration with the Fourah Bay College Administration and the QATAR Foundation (a Community Based Organization at Leicester Road), has ended a two-day tree planting exercise at the Fourah Bay College Botanical Garden during which over 2700 tree seedlings ranging from economic, herbal and forest trees were planted.
Speaking before the tree planting exercise started on Saturday 13th June 2020, the Production Manager at Guma Valley Water Company, Mr. Mohamed Koroma said the Botanical Garden host the Bambara Spring which is source of the White Water Weir from which Guma supplies water to thousands of citizens residing at the Upper Reaches of Mountain Cut, Mount Aureol up to Will Street at Upper Kissy Road.
He said Guma is funding the tree planting exercise because the Company needs sufficient raw water to treat and supply to people and the amount of raw water from the Bambara Spring has been dwindling due to the deforestation that is ongoing at the Botanical Garden to the extent that it is now affecting Guma’s operation.
The Estate Officer at Fourah Bay College, Mr. Wilfred Momoh said they are pleased to partner with Guma to reforest the Botanical Garden and that is the reason why Fourah Bay College members of staff from the Estate, Garden and Grounds as well as the Biology Department are participating in the tree planting exercise. He said they would ensure that the tree seedlings are effectively monitored until they become full grown trees.
The Chairman of the QATAR Foundation, Mr. Ibrahim Mansaray said they decided to partner with Guma because they are concerned with the deforestation that has been ongoing at the Fourah Bay College Botanical Garden as it is their source of water supply for drinking and other uses. The Chairman also pledged his organization’s support to protect the seedlings until they are fully grown.
The tree planting exercise, it is hoped, will help in water conservation, reduce soil erosion and flooding; which usually reduces raw water quality and makes it very expensive to treat for human consumption.
