Kankanzie River in Nadowli-Kaleo: A Ticking Time Bomb Demanding Urgent Action

Every rainy season, the Kankanzie River in the Nadowli-Kaleo District transforms from a calm water body into a raging flood that endangers the very lives of the people who depend on it. This year has been no exception. The floods have not only cut off communities from one another but also forced students, health workers, and farmers into life-threatening situations as they attempt to cross.

A heartbreaking scene recently captured in Nadowli-Kaleo showed a health worker being assisted by two men to wade through the river just to reach patients in dire need of medical care. Equally disturbing is the daily risk school children face, as they are left with no choice but to cross the swollen river to pursue their education. In a deprived area like Nadowli-Kaleo, where education is the only beacon of hope, it is tragic to think that the absence of a simple bridge could stand in the way of the children’s future.

The health implications for Nadowli-Kaleo are just as grave. Nurses and other health workers often fail to report to work during the rains, leaving residents stranded without medical care. In emergencies, lives are put at risk. The absence of boats or life jackets compounds the danger, turning every crossing into a gamble between life and death.

The people of Nadowli-Kaleo have made several appeals over the years, but their cries seem to fall on deaf ears. Yet, they remain hopeful that under the government’s Big Push agenda, the Kankanzie River will not be forgotten. A bridge here is not a luxury, it is a necessity that will save lives, secure education for children, and ensure uninterrupted health care.

We must remember that being proactive is always better than being reactive. Must we wait until disaster strikes, until lives are lost in the rushing waters of the Kankanzie River in Nadowli-Kaleo before authorities act? The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of a bridge.

The people of Nadowli-Kaleo deserve better. The Kankanzie River must not continue to be a seasonal death trap. The government must rise to the occasion and make this urgent intervention before it becomes a tragedy written in blood.

The people of Nadowli-Kaleo are watching!