Acute water crisis in Al-Rajban
Libya – The mayor of Al-Rajban municipality, Ahmed Saqr, said the municipality was suffering an acute shortage of drinking water supplies, explaining that the area relies on what is known as the Kikla basin, which includes six main wells of which only two are currently operating, and that outages stem from electricity and pump failures.
Committees to inspect and maintain wells
Speaking by phone on a Libya Al-Ahrar bulletin broadcast from Turkey and followed by Al-Marsad, Saqr said the municipal council had contacted the General Water and Sanitation Company, the wells field and the Ministry of Water Resources, noting that committees and ministry bodies had responded and visited the wells site to inspect and maintain them.
He added that two wells had been out of service since they were drilled in 2007 and had still not been brought online, saying the General Water Company had required electrical equipment to be provided first before pumps could be installed and remaining logistical requirements completed.
The mayor described conditions as difficult, saying Al-Rajban city and the mountain municipalities were facing problems linked to scarce water and wells.
Kartoum wells project and linking networks to homes
On proposed solutions, Saqr said that after contact with the Government of National Unity and the Housing and Utilities Authority a large project had been allocated for the Kartoum wells, covering their renewal, the addition of new wells and the laying of main lines in the coming period.
He said the remaining problem was linking internal networks to homes to end reliance on water tankers and residents’ hardship amid uneven tanker prices, with tanker owners citing diesel shortages and technical faults.
