Sea erosion threatens Buchanan city

Residents of the Port City of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County are living in total fear for the raging sea erosion that is said to be gradually encroaching on the city.
“We are living here in Buchanan, especially those of us residing in this Fanti Town only by the Grace of God; at night when we are going to bed, we only give our lives to God, because we don’t know when the sea will clear us from here. All the other houses that were in front of us have already been cleared by the sea, and we don’t have money to relocate,” 70 year-old Anthony Nimley told our reporter.
Mr. Nimley who is said to have resided in the Fanti Town community for over 30 years told our reporter that the community has for the past years been lacking safe drinking water and toilet facilities.
He said as a result of the lack of safe drinking water and toilet facilities, the residents are being constrained to drink from wells water and use the beaches for latrine.
“We are calling on the government and other none-governmental organizations in the country to come to our aid, our children are dying every day of different kinds of sicknesses, especially cholera and diarrhea and the waste of all is the sea that is coming to clear us from here, we do not have money to fine place to another place. We can’t sleep sound in the night because we are afraid that the sea doesn’t take us away|,” Mamie Morton, mother of three children said.
Fanti Town is considered by residents as one of the many slum communities in Buchanan.
Our reporter who visited the community observed that entire community was covered with an unpleasant odor perhaps from the beach.
It was also observed that group of people, including men; women and children were seen along the beach apparently defecating while others were confidently relaxing and carrying on normal activities on the beach that is just next to the community.
According to our reporter, most of the houses on the right side of Preston Street lift form the ever busy Tubman Street is gradually being encroached on, as the sea is seen just a stone throw from the road.
In 2009, local authorities in Grand Bassa County, led by Superintendent Julia D. Cassell launched $3 Million United States dollars fund drive aimed at generating funds that will help remedy the sea erosion that is gradually encroaching on the City.