During this winter period, thunderstorms are frequent over almost all of Senegal, especially in the western half. In Dakar, the rains have done damage this week, with flooding in certain neighborhoods and disruptions on the roads. The large number of artisans in the informal sector have to adapt.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac
Employees of Abdou Sène, carpenter, prepare tea inside the workshop. With the rain, it is technical unemployment. All the equipment, usually installed on the side of the road, had to be brought in. ” I do not work. Our workshop is on the road because we can’t afford a big workshop. Every year it’s the same “, he laments.
Scrap metal dealers, cooks in eateries, touba coffee sellers… In this district of Grand Dakar, many activities take place in the street. For this upholsterer, it’s a hassle: ” When it rains, we have to bring in all the equipment and that doesn’t help us since we have employees to pay. »
” We are used to it, we do with it », affirms for his part Mr. Pène, responsible for a carpentry, before adding: « When it rains, we try to manage with the means at hand, with tarpaulins, but there is still water flowing and there is damage. There is wood that takes on water, which we try to dry afterwards but which delays our work and delivery times. This year, the town hall promised us to paving the alley so that next year, with the rain, there will be no problems. »
► To read also: Senegal: floods in Dakar and several other localities
Wintering has only just begun in the capital. The national meteorological agency (ANACIM) had reported in its forecasts of a ” good rainy season » this year, with « a high risk of intense rainfall events “.