The rich Gulf will disappear if coastal
road is not implemented soon
By Ali Ismael Mohamed –Puntland
Qandala town is situated at the coastline of the Red Sea, 90km
east-coast of regional
capital Bosaso city. At the early days of 1970, the
revolutionary government used to
control the entire country militarily and Bari region
particularly which Qandala town was
known at that time as a far- to- reach area.
This resulted the impoverishment of the population at every
level and influx of the people
of
this region toward the southern part of the country to survive
and establish there
better living conditions.
From 1983 onwards Qandala became a business and commercial
center after Berbera
port have been closed down by the military regime politically
and at that time it was
recognized as “The rich Gulf”
The
main economic activities of the district are livestock, Trade
and collection of frankincense . Untill 1989 one of the major
activities were also fishing. A fish factory could
provide direct employment to 1000 people of which 400 were
women. The fish, tuna, was
being canned and exported to Europe and Arab countries.
The
District has a water supply system originated from Tooh spring
(located at high
altitude of southern Golis range mountains), 12 kilometers from
Qandala.
This water-flow system from Tooh spring is the largest project
ever implemented
in
Puntland by SPDS/SAWA in mid -1997 and funded by EU and NOVIB
(The Netherlands) in addition to local contribution from the
people of Qandala District.
Due
to inaccessibility of the coastal area, one has to travel
approximately 450 kilometers from
Bosaso to Qandala by rough road which could 25hours. By boat it
would take six hours
only to reach the district.
In
the dry season (May till September) this is not possible due to
rough sea caused by
heavy tides that impede the telecommunication of resources of
the District where the
income of the poor rural individual decreases due to lack of
tarmac road.
After having seen the absence of the most important and first
priority infrastructure of
the
district which is exactly the road network; the people of
Qandala requests the local
civil authority and International community to offer them the
access to the coastal road
between Qandala and Bosaso.
The
road network in Qandala District connecting to the other
neighboring towns and surrounding villages can help to improve
the education, business and health situation of the whole
district
in
particularly Bari region and in Puntland State of Somalia.