ASSIUT - The Upper Egyptian village of Manqabad, Assiut Governorate, is seeing a rising tide of protests at a shortage of drinking water, local media reported. A wave of demonstrations and ensuing clashes with Government officials in recent weeks has left dozens injured in Manqabad village, which has a population of 60,000. Many inhabitants of this poor village are forced to resort to buying jerry cans of water from occasional tanker trucks or improvising wells to bring up often unclean water, the independent Al-Shrouq newspaper has reported. "The tap water is yellow and smells bad," Hajja Aisha told the paper, accusing the Government of doing nothing to end the villagers' plight. She accused the Government of prioritising water for the wealthy and for tourist destinations while villagers often have to pay water bills even when their taps are dry. Faced with the mounting popular anger, the officials in Assiut Governorate have announced emergency measures to relieve those most affected.
