A man carrying empty water cans on a street in Beirut. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — Residents of the Batroun region in North Lebanon protested on Tuesday against regular water cuts in the area from the Kfar Halda water station, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Here’s what we know:
According to the NNA, the protesters condemned the fact that the municipalities in the region are deprived of water while there are springs in the region. Protesters claimed that villages, coastal towns and other areas in Batroun have access to water sources naturally. They also complained about the fact that inhabitants of the region whose source of water is Kfar Halda are deprived of their water, and are forced to buy water tanks worth millions of lira while the water from their sources is sent to other places.
The protestors also called on the government to ensure the supply of electricity and fuel, which is used to operate the water pumps and transport it to the rural areas of Batroun. They also threatened to escalate their steps if no response is provided to this problem as soon as possible.
The Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Board regularly announce interruptions in the water supply across their territories, citing electricity shortages, major malfunctions and sometimes cable thefts. The state-owned Electricité du Liban provides an average of two hours of electricity per day which contributes to further water outages.