CAIRO: The shortage of drinking water in Cotisca squatter and Maadi district continues to increase the frustration of residents, while the Ministry of Housing and Utilities and Urban Communities ended the crisis in El Gharebya governorate Wednesday. Inhabitants of a squatter called Cotsica, in Tora, have been suffering from a lack of drinking water several weeks, but the Ministry of Housing promised the problem will be solved shortly. Abdel Hamid Sheaar, from the Ministry's media office, told Daily News Egypt that the main water pipes of the squatter are being pumped under a railway station near Cotsica. "We coordinated the issue with the Ministry of Transportation. They are now digging under this railway station to connect the water pipe to the area after it has been disconnected, said Sheaar. A formal notification issued by the Ministry of Housing to the water company of Greater Cairo confirmed that drinking water will be available to Cotsica after the digging procedures end. As for the Maadi district, inhabitants of an area called Ezbet El Nasr protested for 45 minutes on the Autostrad road on Wednesday calling on government officials to solve their water crisis. The local press reported that around 7,000 inhabitants protested, holding empty jerry cans and demanding that water return to their homes. Police forces asked the protestors to demonstrate on the side of the road, but they refused. Meanwhile, Housing Minister Ahmed El Maghraby inaugurated several water projects in El Gharbeya governorate yesterday solving the water crisis for about 130,000 inhabitants. According to the Ministry, El Maghraby ended the water crisis in two villages in El Gharbeya governorate called El Beshbeesh and Kafr Hegazy after the problem lasted for six continuous months. The ministry has added two extra water units, with a capacity of 2,400 cubic liters each, to the three already existing water stations in these areas. The total capacity of the water station in El Gharbeya reached 12,000 cubic liters. As for Kafr Hegazy village, in El Mahalla El Kobra, the ministry has established an additional water purification station that includes three units, each with a capacity of 24,000 cubic liters per day. This station is said to serve 40,000 inhabitants. The ministry has also announced that it has set an urgent plan with a budget of LE 1 billion that aims to solve the water crisis in all Egyptian areas that suffer from water shortage by April 2008. The plan includes the establishment of 117 water stations with a cost of LE 702 million, to be equally distributed in all Egyptian areas that lack drinking water. It also highlights a strategy to dig 473 more deep water wells that guarantee the drinking water is potable. In addition, it will implement plans to develop all existing water networks at a cost of LE 326 million.
