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:
