Hundreds of residents of the village of Sanhur in the Fayoum Governorate gathered to protest five consecutive days of water cuts. Villagers blocked the main road leading to the city of Fayoum, with some protesters setting cars ablaze to register their discontent.
According to protesters, the disruptions have been due to a malfunctioning shutoff valve, which caused water intended for Sanhur to be diverted to a neighboring village.
Fawzy el-Tablawi, mayor of the nearby city of Sanwaris, attempted to calm demonstrators and reopen the road. Frustrated villagers, however, stated their refusal to vacate the road until local water services had been restored.
Mahmoud Nafaa, CEO of the Fayoum Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation, stated that a crew from the company had been working to repair the valve since Thursday.
In related news, dozens of farmers near the city of Suez staged demonstrations to protest cuts in irrigation water to their farms over the last five months.
According to farmers, the lack of water has severely damaged both their land and crops. It is estimated that 26,000 acres of land have been affected by the disruptions.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
