Residents of Al-Sawra town and Gharbiya Al-Sharqiya village in northern Deir Ezzor countryside face difficulty securing drinking water, due to the declining capacity of the Al-Sawra water station to meet needs, as it used to supply more than 45,000 people, while its services today reach only about 20,000.
Ahmed Al-Kamal, director of the Al-Sawra water unit, clarified that water has not reached Gharbiya Al-Sharqiya village since 2011, and it is secured by purchasing water tankers, pointing out that the reasons for the interruption include encroachments on the main line and farmers using hoses with a diameter of two and a half inches for irrigation, in addition to a lack of tanks and their non-activation.
For his part, citizen Ibrahim Al-Barak called on relevant authorities to connect drinking water to Al-Sawra sub-district in general and Gharbiya Al-Sharqiya village in particular, noting that the water reaching the Al-Sawra canal is not suitable for drinking, amid suffering that has lasted for about 14 years. Citizen Khader Ali Al-Khader pointed out the purchase of unfiltered tankers at a price of 700 pounds, which causes diseases, while the price of filtered ones is 1,500 pounds.
Al-Kamal indicated that a study has been in possession of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for eight months to restore the station, with work underway to remove encroachments. The General Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation had launched a project to extend networks spanning 19 kilometers across 17 residential settlements to improve access.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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