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Rabat – The city of Beni Mellal, Afourar, and its surrounding areas are grappling with a flagrant water deficit, causing distress among residents.
Reports indicate that residents have been without water in their homes for more than five consecutive days.
The Tadla Independent Water and Electricity Distribution Agency (RADEET) stated that this happened because of water contamination caused by flooding at the Afourar water treatment plant, which is the main water supplier for Beni Mellal, Souk Sebt, and other close-by villages.
As a result, many families are being forced to find alternative sources to meet their essential needs.
Residents shared frustration, noting that they have been enduring severe water shortages for the past six days due to the National Office of Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE) failing to provide enough drinking water to meet their daily needs.
People took to social media to complain about the severity of the situation.
“Five days have passed, and the city of Beni Mellal is at the mercy of thirst, in the height of summer and amid unbearable heat, without any prior warning or even an explanation from the authorities! Has drinking water become a luxury not deserving of ordinary citizens?” a resident posted on Facebook.
The ONEE relies on the simple and cost-effective solution of sourcing water from the Bin El Ouidane reservoir, but this approach has proven inadequate given the persistent nature of the crisis.
Read Also: Moroccan Government Intensifies Efforts to Address Water Shortages
Families line up early each morning in queues that frequently extend for dozens of meters, carrying containers and plastic bottles as they wait their turn at the water tanks.
Authorities have deployed a number of mobile water tanks as a temporary measure to the crisis. However, in the most affected neighborhoods, residents are left relying on these limited tanks, which frequently run out due to high demand, forcing people to wait for refills.
Online videos depict women, men, and children hauling heavy buckets through the streets, enduring long waits for their turn to access water under arduous conditions.
Some families have resorted to strict water rationing, using water only for drinking and cooking, while daily routines such as bathing and washing have been drastically impacted.
Locals also urged community solidarity and water sharing among the most affected families.
The ongoing water crisis has ignited frustration among residents of Beni Mellal, who are urgently calling on authorities to implement swift and sustainable solutions to restore their water supply.
Amid these difficult conditions, the community is anxiously awaiting a resolution and hoping for a return to normalcy.
The extended and abrupt water shortages have fueled anger and accusations against the RADEET for negligence and mismanagement.
The company’s lack of transparency and proactive measures has exacerbated the crisis and prompted questions about the underlying causes of these frequent outages.
As Morocco grapples with an ongoing water crisis, the government is intensifying efforts to accelerate several crucial hydraulic projects. To bolster these initiatives, funding has been increased to MAD 143 billion ($14.7 billion) by the government.
