Villagers in eastern Sudan’s El Gedaref plead for upgrades to water network

The Association of Residents and Displaced People of the villages around the Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex have accused the Dams Implementation Unit and the El Gedaref state government of ignoring their plight regarding a chronic shortage of drinking water, despite their proximity to a reliable water source. They demand that the infrastructure of pumps and water points be extended with increased capacity.

In a statement at the weekend, the association demanded the establishment of new water stations sufficient for residential villages in the complexes, lamenting that currently, there is only one water station to service more than three complexes.

They also stressed the importance for the need to rehabilitate the City Station 1 and connect it to the state of El Gedaref’s main water line, with the addition of a pump through the conveyor line to the complexes.

The association appeals for a review of internal networks in residential villages, and a review of the decision to merge the water and electricity bills, asserting that there are families who pay the fees but have not had access to running water since 2013.

He pointed out that the distance between the farthest residential complex and the water source should not exceed three kilometres.

The Atbara and Setit Dam is situated at the confluence of the Atbara and Setit rivers in the state of El Gedaref, and includes an important 320MW hydroelectric power station. 320 MW dam was inaugurated by former president Omar Al Bashir in February 2017.