Sporadic protests in Khartoum over water pollution
July 16, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese capital, Khartoum witnessed sporadic protests on Monday against the backdrop of a severe shortage in drinking water and water pollution.
Dozens of protesters in Al-Kalakla suburb, south of Khartoum had also protested on Sunday including women who held empty water containers indicating lack of drinking water in their homes.
The Sudanese capital suffers from poor water services particularly in the summer.
Water engineering experts attribute the reason of this chronic problem to the use of poor-quality Chinese spare parts instead of the western expertise and machinery.
The water shortage triggered an extraordinary session at the state assembly to discuss the problem.
A lawmaker at Khartoum state’s legislative council expressed disappointment, saying “it is inappropriate to have a water problem in a city which is surrounded by two Niles; I think there is a serious administrative malfunction which must be corrected”.
The minister of urban planning and infrastructure in Khartoum state, Al-Rashid Fageeri has acknowledged the severe water crisis and attributed the problem to the process of substitution and replacement of malfunctioning equipments”.
He complained in a statement before Khartoum state legislative council Monday about the delay in the central bank’s funding for the import of water equipments as well as water networks maintenance.
The director of Khartoum State Water Corporation (KSWC), Judallah Osman, for his part, disclosed that water turbidity rates have reached 35 thousand units this year compared to 33 thousand units last year which caused the water problem.
Several members of the Khartoum state legislative council drew scathing criticism for the ministry of urban planning and the KSWC accusing both sides of administrative negligence.
The lawmakers have further questioned the quality and specifications of the water stations and stressed the need for a radical solution to the water problem, saying that 90% of the water shortage is caused by unstable electricity supply as well as the negative role of the central government.
A recent report issued by the inspector general in Khartoum state revealed that KSWC is using carcinogenic substances including solid polymer, powder and chlorine in water treatment besides importing materials which do not conform to standards and specifications.
The MPs also called for exempting Khartoum residences affected by the water shortage of the monthly fees until a fundamental solution for the problem is reached.
Large parts of Sudan’s sprawling capital Khartoum continue to grapple with shortage of potable water despite the authorities’ much-vaunted construction of water pipes networks and plants.
(ST)