Groundwater Overflow Threatens the Lives of Zliten Residents in Western Libya
(AWP) - The General Water and Sanitation Company of Libya continues to pump out accumulated water in the municipality of Zliten on the country’s western coast, which is witnessing rising groundwater levels to the point of overflowing from beneath houses and public areas, causing significant damage to residential and agricultural areas.
Environmental Sanitation Office officials in Zliten warned of an “environmental catastrophe” that could endanger lives if efforts to decrease water levels are not successful.
Mohammed Arkhis, an official at the Zliten Emergency and Crisis Management Committee, said the water company is extracting approximately 500 tank loads per day, amounting to about 5,000 cubic metres of water, which he described as “huge quantities.”
Arkhis said a proposal was under consideration to establish a filtration line by creating concrete chambers that collect the water and divert it towards the sea through a main pipeline approximately 5,000 metres long.
Zliten resident Al-Makki Jibril, whose house was significantly damaged due to water overflow, said, “Sewage tanks have cracked, and water is leaking out of them, so now we will not focus on the water or sewage tanks. We are looking for damage to the foundations of the houses and ground subsidence because when the soil gets wet, it does not hold together and becomes sticky, and the houses are in danger of collapsing.”
“This is what we are afraid of,” he added.
Mohammed Abdul Malek is a resident who had to stop work on building his house due to the flooded water.
He said, “I started construction on my house and could not finish because of the water coming out of the ground. We dig and the groundwater comes out, so you cannot build. The foundations collapse.”
Abdul Malek added, “Insects have spread because of the water, and the children are sick of the situation. The company pumps out the water on a daily basis without reaching a result; the groundwater that emerges is increasing and never decreasing.”