The Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging the use of treated water to irrigate summer fodder crops and green areas in order to ensure a regular water supply during the summer of 2024, the peak consumption period, Abdelhamid Mnajja, director general of rural engineering and water exploitation, said on Wednesday. Speaking to journalists at a regular press conference in Tunis, Mnajja added that the ministry would also raise farmers' awareness of the need to use water reserves in dams to irrigate fruit trees, grain and fodder. Other measures planned to promote the rational use of water resources include the continued application of the cyclical quota system and the prohibition of certain water uses, as well as the fight against illegal drilling and connection to the network, in addition to guaranteeing the supply of drinking water to sensitive institutions. "To this end, the Ministry plans to implement 115 new water supply projects by 2024, benefiting 150,000 people in the regions of Kasserine, Gafsa, Sidi Bo uzid, El Kef and Siliana. 92 projects are in the implementation phase, while tenders are underway for the rest," the official added. These projects are part of a plan for 239 water systems programmed since 2016, benefiting 286,000 inhabitants. Of these, 97 systems are in a state of disruption and 27 systems are at a complete standstill. An action plan is being implemented to improve the management of the water system. It provides for the removal of 3956 illegal connections spread over 70 water groups, the financial control of 577 groups and the settlement of their debts to the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company - STEG- (463 groups) and the Tunisian Water Distribution Utility (309 groups). Abdelhamid Mnajja said the debts of the water groups amounted to TND 17.88 million, including TND 13 million to STEG and TND 4 million to SONEDE (a repayment of about TND 145,000). Regarding SONEDE's preparations for the summer season, Mnajja pointed out that the company plans to carry out 73 interventions in the vario us governorates at a total cost of TND 49 million. This includes the electrification and equipment of 55 deep wells. There are also plans to build desalination plants and to strengthen the water resources of the network by connecting all the wells in the various regions to the SONEDE lines (18 wells are planned). Commenting on the blockages in certain SONEDE projects, the manager said that 40% of the problems encountered were due to the opposition of certain citizens to certain works being carried out. There was also the inability of certain developers (including those responsible for the construction of deep wells) to fulfil their contractual obligations (8 contracts were cancelled). Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse