A
meeting on topic "
Viable solutions to the
water shortage problems
in the Jenin- West
villages" was held on
June 30, 2001 in Aneen
village. Acute water
shortage is faced by
more than 60,000 people
living in 13 villages.
Among the speakers were
the chairman of Common
Services Council
engineer M. Mahameed,
Director of Common
Services Council
Engineer M Jaradat,
Aneen Mayor Rabah Yassin,
and a member of the
local town hall meetings
committee A. Essa. The
audience was represented
by more than 90 citizens
who entered in a debate
with the speakers. The
attendants did not take
seriously the promises
made by the speakers to
have water pumped to
every house in each of
the 13 villages.
The
participants further
complained of the high
price for water. The
price of NIS 6 for every
cubic meter in addition
to the fixed minimum of
NIS 36 payable every
month regardless of
consumption can not be
justified. The citizens
also voiced their
dissatisfaction over the
quality of a new water
pipe system.
The
citizens made the
following demands:
-
The water price
should be reduced
from NIS 6 to NIS 4.
-
The water pipe
system should be
extended to cover a
wider area within
the villages.
-
The water supply
should be regulated
in a more efficient
way to ensure fair
distribution.
-
Drinking water has
to be strictly
checked for quality
to ensure its
compliance with
hygiene standards.
The
participants also made
the following
suggestions during the
meeting:
-
Other similar
meetings should be
held in the future,
as that was the
first meeting of
this kind conducted
in the district.
-
A meeting should be
held in every
village to discuss
water shortage and
related problems.
-
New pumps should be
used if an adequate
distribution of
water is to be
achieved.
-
A special committee
comprising of the
Town Hall Meeting (THM)
participants should
be formed to follow
up what was adopted
during the meeting.
The member of the Civic
Forum’s town hall
meetings committee
undertook a follow up of
the above
recommendations, and
noted that the citizens
reported an increase in
water supply, described
as fairly good. Also, a
mechanism to reduce
water prices was
discussed with the
Ministry of Local
Government.
Following the town hall
meeting, an article was
published in Al-Ayyam
newspaper on July 1,
2001, calling for an
increase in the amount
of water pumped to the
Jenin-West villages.
Tangible result:
