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New water pipeline to Aden

SANA'A -- With the intent to provide more drinking water to meet the demand of the increasing population in Aden, a new water pipeline has started pumping water to four districts in Aden this week.

At a total cost of YR 1.1 billion, the government financed project took a little over a year to complete.

"The new project was financed by the government to support the current aquifers, especially Abyan basin," said Hassan Saeed Qasim, deputy manager of the water and sanitation local corporation in Aden. "Preparation for the project started in May 2008. The completed line is 25 km long and 24 inches in diameter."

For the first time water will be pumped from Bir Ahmed to Muala, Tawahi, Khour Maksar and Crater districts. The new water line will increase water pumping hours to residential houses by two to three hours. For example in Khormaksar the water is turned on for eight hours a day. This project will add two more hours to that total, according to Qasim.

"The water crisis cannot be solved but it might be reduced," he said. "Desalination is the solution for the Aden's water shortage, but it would be expensive for consumers.

"Water from Al-Manasra will be pumped to Aden by the middle of August," Qasim added.

Water comes to Aden from three different aquifers which are Beer Nasser with 37 wells, Beer Ahmed with 36 wells and Al-Rawa with 15 wells. The need for water has recently jumped in Aden due to the rapid increase in population and industry. The private unregulated drilling of wells in the locations of water production aquifers is still a challenge for water management.

Water flowing into the reservoirs at Bir Nasser from Abyan Basin decreased 32 percent between January and October 2008, according to a recent report by the Ministry of Water. This has led to a sharp decline in the water level at the assembly reservoirs in Bir Nasser and Jabal Hadeed, resulting in a water shortage in the districts of Dar Sa'd, Basatin, Mualla and Tawahi.

In Aden, the smallest governorate of Yemen, the water supply depends entirely on groundwater. As rainfall in Aden is the lowest in Yemen according to governmental statistics and the hot climate quickly evaporates any rain that does fall on its lands, this precious source of water is not recharged at the same rate that it is exploited.

By Khaled Al-Hilaly

© Yemen Times 2009