Taiz Launches Emergency Plan to Address Water Crisis by Opening 5 Official Wells and Fixing Prices
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
In an urgent step to contain the worsening water crisis in Taiz city, local authorities announced exceptional measures including the operation of five main water wells and the regulation of tanker filling at fixed prices, amidst strict monitoring measures to prevent exploitation.
Under the directives of the First Deputy Governor of Taiz Governorate, Abdul Qawi al-Mikhlafi, the “Public Water Corporation” launched an immediate mechanism to pump water from five wells distributed across vital areas: the Forty Meter Street well, the Daboua well, the Montazah well, the Water Corporation reservoirs, and the Hawl al-Shajara well.
During a meeting with the corporation’s leadership, al-Mikhlafi affirmed that the price per liter would be set at 5,000 Yemeni riyals per 1000 liters, thus restoring the pricing to pre-recent crisis levels, stressing “zero tolerance for any violations, whether in prices or the distribution mechanism.”
A field visit by the Deputy Governor and the Director of the Corporation revealed the resolution of the “Montazah Al-Ta’awun” well issue, which was a point of contention between concerned parties. The visit resulted in the signing of an agreement guaranteeing the provision of water to the neighboring Al-Ta’awun Hospital, while also connecting the well to the corporation’s network to distribute water to citizens in an organized manner.
Local sources announced that water pumping from the five wells will effectively begin this afternoon, according to a declared mechanism, with officials emphasizing daily follow-up on the matter to overcome obstacles.
Al-Mikhlafi called on residents to “cooperate by paying the specified fees,” warning against attempts to exploit the crisis, while noting that field teams will conduct surprise inspections to apprehend violators.
This measure comes at a time when Taiz is suffering from frequent water cuts, amidst challenges hindering infrastructure repair due to the difficult service conditions the governorate is experiencing.
