Port Sudan’s eastern districts run dry

A number of eastern districts of Port Sudan, capital of Red Sea state, have been suffering from a severe drinking water crisis for several months. The water network only operates for one day a week, and price of a jerry can of water has climbed to SDG 5 ($0.75).

Journalist Osman Hashim told Radio Dabanga that the water network operates only once a week at Salabona district and pointed to water pollution and a change in its colour and taste.

He pointed to the total interruption of water services at Abuhashish district months ago.

He accused the Zero Thirst project of ‘window dressing’; “they operated the water at the opening of the project for a day in the presence of officials, and then the situation returned to its first condition”.

He explained that Block 2 and 4 at of Hadal district is suffering of a similar crisis despite the beginning of winter.

He harshly criticised Zero Thirst project and explained that the spending on water has amounted to SDG 102 million ($15.3 million) without tangible results achieved in improving water services.

Kassala

The farmers of the Halfa El Jadeeda project in Kassala state have threatened to stage a sit-in because of the increase in the irrigation water fees for the project imposed by Halfa El Jadeeda Project Corporation if not cancelled.

Shaaban Mohamed Betek, the head of the alliance of farmers of Halfa El Jadeeda project, said the corporation has imposed on them SDG 1,265 ($190) in order to irrigate all winter and summer crops this year.

He said the farmers resent the increases and their insistence not to pay them like the farmers of El Gezira Scheme

He stressed that in case of non-payment, farmers will lose the season because the economic security corporation will not allow the entry of harvesters and other machineries to their lands.

He pointed that in case of non-payment farmers will be arrested, but they are insisting on non-payment of fees.