(AFP Photo/Cris Bouroncle)
In mid-July, the government will complete sewage networks in 45 out of 135 villages, according to Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly.
Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb previously held a meeting with the Ministers of Local Development and Housing, Adel Labib and Mostafa Madbouly, as well as nine governors, and chairmen of concerned entities. The meeting discussed the status of the village’s sewage projects, which are being implemented using a grant from the UAE.
The government plans to supply 135 villages spread over nine governorates with sewage networks through the Emirati fund.
Cabinet spokesman Hossam Al-Kawish said it is expected that sewage network projects in 49 villages will be completed by the end of December, in line with the 45 villages that will have their sewage networks completed by mid-July.
According to a cabinet press release on Saturday, 41 villages are yet to be provided with sewage networks because of problems in execution, whether due to violations on the lands provided for the project or expropriation.
“In the meeting, the prime minister stressed on quickly working on the networks to the houses in the 45th village. These projects will be a gift to the villagers in Eid [Al-Fitr]. It is thus necessary to coordinate with the concerned ministries, governors, and civil society organisations,” said Qawish.
Mehleb requested the quick removal of any violations on the lands allocated for the sewage projects in these villages. He also demanded the quick issuance of the required regulations on expropriation.
“Sewage projects are extremely important in villages and the project will solve the problems of 135 villages, so we will work to overcome any obstacles facing it,” Mehleb said during the meeting.
Mehleb requested Chairman of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater Mamdouh Raslan work on resolving the issue of water shortages, which has recently appeared in some areas.
“There are issues in some areas in the governorates of Giza, Qaliubiya and Sharqeya, because water is not enough for the population in the areas, due to the spread of illegal residential buildings during the period of security instability. Currently these issues are being worked on one by one,” Raslan said.
