Agence France Presse | June 6, 2002 Rioters set alight government buildings and cars in Algeria in protest against a worsening water shortage affecting much of the north African country, press reports said Thursday.
Rioting broke out on Tuesday in Abadla, near Bechar, 900 kilometres (560 miles) south of Algiers, where locals attacked public buildings and blocked roads in protest against the water crisis which has worsened in the last 15 days, the newspapers reported.
In the last two weeks, the Algerian capital has been relying on bore water as its principal dam has dried up. According to experts, each Algerian currently has access to less than 100 litres of water (25 gallons) per day compared to the minimum standard of 150 litres (40 gallons) a day recommended by the World Health Organisation.
If the crisis continues, they warn only 50 litres (15 gallons) a day would be available to each Algerian.
In Abadla, protestors attacked the town hall, the district administrator's office and the local tax office.
They also set alight the district administrator's residence and several vehicles, the Le Soir d'Algerie reported.
Three people were arrested as a result, the paper said.
Following the riots, local authorities announced they would bring in eight water trucks and reactivate a local treatment plant, shutdown in 1993, the news agency APS reported.
Rioting also broke out on Tuesday in the eastern industrial port of Skikda, 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of Algiers.
Residents from the suburb of Beni Malek blocked access to the town centre and set tyres and tree trunks alight, Le Matin reported.
For the last 17 days in Beni Malek, water has only been available three hours a week.
Water shortages have also provoked riots during the last week in Saouni, 600 kilometres (370 miles) west of Algiers, according to the Liberte newspaper.
For the last two months, there has been no running water in the town.
Protestes attacked the local police headquarters and several cars parked in front of the town hall before police reinforcements were sent in to end the protest.Agence France Presse:
