At the weekend, 38 people received compensation from the Management of the Bumbuna Hydro Project totaling Le 2,050,281,488 (Two billion and fifty million, two hundred and eighty-one thousand, four hundred and eighty-eight Leones) paid to owners of affected structures and economic trees situated in the right of way of the Bumbuna Transmission Line.
The payments were done in cash by officials of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, witnessed by an NGO; the Center for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL) and officials of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, especially those working on the Bumbuna Project.
Bumbuna Project Director, Dr. Abdul Rahim Jalloh said that the compensation was a continuation of a process which started in 2008 in Bumbuna town, when payments were made for replacement of farm lands that were affected by the construction of the hydro dam and its environment.
Furthermore, he went on, the project provided other means of compensation in 2009 just before Bumbuna was switched on, in which 400 dollars each was given to occupants within the range of the transmission line, as transition and moving allowance.
The Director said that compensation will continue in the Western Rural District of Waterloo, and proceeds to other towns and villages especially in the north, where the transmission line runs.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources Martin Bash-Kamara prior to performing the symbolic compensation said that the exercise was geared towards reassuring that the Bumbuna project is not only successful in providing electricity to Freetown and other places, but more apt in ensuring that those affected by the project are duly appeased.
A few of the affected persons interviewed expressed appreciation on the intervention made by the Bumbuna Project in compensating them for their property destroyed.
They said, even though the money received was not what they expected, but quite appreciable for the fact that the Bumbuna project is a national concern and of benefit, and their property destroyed is just part of their own national sacrifice.
However, Dr. Abdul Rahim Jalloh said that neither the Bumbuna Management nor the National Power Authority was involved in activities leading to compensation of affected property owners.
He said that the World Bank hired consultants to evaluate affected structures and economic trees and other affected properties and recommended the nature of compensation due for any affected property.
It was moreover learnt from the ceremony that in overall, 347 project affected persons will receive compensation for economic trees in communities including: Western Rural District; Koya, Marampa, Buya Romende, Makarie Gbantie, Safroko Limba and Kalansongoia Chiefdoms all in the Northern Province.
However, the Transmission Line is the 205 Kilometer long cable starting from the Bumbuna substation running all the way to Kingtom power station in the Western Urban. Payments are therefore made for the 30 meter corridor; 15 meters on each side of the transmission line, which is technically advised that no human should dwell within that limit.
It was revealed that the danger it would mean dwelling within that limit, spells doom. If one gets too close, it is likely that the person gets electrocuted and a possible radiation effect which would have long-term repercussions such as congenital problems and cancer, as a result of the magnetic fields the high-tension cables contain.
By Poindexter Sama
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