Dakar's once-pristine shoreline now toxic nightmare

Dakar’s Hann Bay beach has transformed from a picturesque haven to a polluted nightmare, with ocean pollution reaching alarming levels due to industrial discharge and a growing population.

Senegal’s manufacturing industry, mainly concentrated along the bay, is directly contributing to the deterioration of this once-idyllic stretch of sand, discharging waste that has turned the water blood-red and pitch black with contaminants.

Despite government promises spanning two decades and a cleanup initiative launched in 2018 with international funding, progress has been painfully slow.

The National Sanitation Agency (ONAS) recently announced a resumption of the stalled cleanup project, leaving locals skeptical after years of unfulfilled assurances.

Amidou Sonko, a marine specialist, confirmed the “high toxicity” of the area, with E. coli bacteria and other pollutants surpassing permitted limits.

The threat extends not only to human health but also poses a danger to biodiversity, impacting the natural breeding grounds for fish.

Fishermen, like 53-year-old Modou Ndong, are grappling with the consequences.

“Here, you cast your nets and bring in rubbish, and you get sick,” Ndong laments.

Despite the urgency and dire conditions, there has been a significant delay in the completion of a wastewater treatment plant by the French group Suez.

The project, aimed at serving 500,000 inhabitants, is marred by challenges, including bankruptcy of the company responsible for laying the main pipe.

While industry participation remains a roadblock, the ONAS coordinator, Alassane Dieng, emphasized the need for compliance under the plan.

Industries will be connected to the network only if they install pre-treatment units and pay an industrial charge. Failure to adhere will result in a “very dissuasive” pollution tax.

As families like Seyni Badiane continue to use the contaminated beach for lack of alternatives, the looming question remains: What is preventing this crucial environmental project from moving forward, and at what cost to the community and ecosystem?