A project to pump water in Raqqa countryside, ending the suffering of more than 50,000 people
Raqqa – North-Press Agency
Fawaz al-Oukla
The villages of al-Hamrat in the eastern countryside of Raqqa, which has a population of about 52,000, have suffered from water shortages since 2009. Residents are eagerly awaiting the completion of the project launched by the Raqqa Civil Council with the support of a civilian organization that aims to bring water to the entire region and end the suffering of its inhabitants before the summer.
Ali al-Hamad, a resident of the village of Hamra Balasm, told North-Press that their suffering with water scarcity dates back to 2009, and that the problem usually worsens further during summer.
The Hamrat Water Unit of the Services and Municipalities Committee of the Raqqa Civil Council continues its work within the project, in which the length of the pipes is expected to reach about 3,500 meters.
Muhammad al-Ali, one of the workers in the project, told North-Press that work is going on for seven hours a day, digging roads and connecting water lines.
In turn, Bassam al-Hazbar, co-chair of the Karama Water Unit, explained that the aim of the project is to fully feed the Hamrat area. The length of these lines is expected to reach 3,500 meters, pointing out that the suffering is concentrated more in the villages of Hamra Balsam and Hamra Nasser, which have a population of about 25,000 people.
Al-Hazbar pointed out that the suffering of the residents of the village of Hamra Balsam lies in the proximity of its water line to an oil pipeline, which was vandalized in 2013 by members of the armed opposition group Ahrar al-Sham, which controlled the area at the time.
Also, the water of the Balikh River, which stems from the village of Ain al-Arous of the town of Tal Abyad, is mixed with sewage, depriving the residents of the possibility of benefiting from it.
Al-Hazbar said that the duration of the project is a full month, adding that the project has been completed so far in the villages of Hamrat Ghannam, al-Matmasi, and Badr Farm.
He added that the Arky Nova organization funded the project with an amount of $195,000, and it also supplied the materials and worked in cooperation with the Services and Municipalities Committee of the Raqqa Civil Council, by providing the necessary expertise and mechanisms as well as supervising the work.
Al-Hazbar pointed out that there are problems related to breakdowns in machinery and delay in bringing fuel as a result of the lockdown imposed in the region.
He expected that the water will be delivered to the entire Hamrat soon, during Ramadan, ending the suffering of 11 years for the residents of the area.