Still no solution to Port Sudan water crisis

The drinking water crisis in Port Sudan has now entered its fourth week. The state government show no signs of finding a speedy solution.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga on Tuesday, Port Sudan residents complained that the water shortage has worsened in most parts of the city over the past weeks.

Journalist Osman Hashim says that the price of drinking water has been rising steadily in some districts of the city.

He attributed the crisis to mismanagement and failure of the government in the implementation of ‘thirst-combat’ projects. He also bemoaned the lack of control over the price of water provided by tankers.

The Legislative Council of the Red Sea State submitted a memorandum to the Governor of the state demanding the dismissal of the officials in charge of the thirst combat project units. The contractors have been paid for the work, but the projects have not been implemented.

The director of the water supply corporation in the state confirmed in a press release that the drinking water deficit is now at 66 per cent.

‘Fed-up with media’

Journalist Hashim revealed that he has been subjected to repeated summons by the security apparatus and threats by the staff of the National Congress Party for publishing reports on the political and service conditions in the state. He said the state government is “fed up with media and other opinion”.

He explained that the secretariat of the National Congress Party has filed a complaint against him and El Watan newspaper for publishing a report on clashes among the representatives of the state legislative council.

‘Government priority’

At a news conference on June 7, the Governor of Red Sea state, Ali Ahmed Hamid, said that the state government’s priority is to resolve the water problem by developing its own resources, expansion of drilling of a number of wells and providing them with solar energy.

He announced the opening of a factory for pipes to transport water to the population of the state.

He pointed to the implementation of ambitious plans to provide the Red Sea state with water from the River Nile.

In addition to the water shortage, Port Sudan residents have complained for power outages over the past weeks. On June 15, dozens of people from Port Sudan’s El Iskan district staged a sit-in on the premises of a power station.