Tripoli, 19 October:
Much of Tripoli was without running water all day, Friday. Disruption to the supply started on Thursday following an . . .[restrict]announcement from the Great Man-Made River Management and Implementation Authority (GMRA) that as a result of the electricity cuts to the water wells in the Hasauna area there would be major water cuts in various parts of Libya.
So far there has been no evidence of anger or frustration among residents, although complaints against Bani Walid are rising. It is being blamed for the disruption after Interior Ministry sources said there had been power line damage near Bani Walid, cutting the supply to the GMRA pumps. At no point did ministry officials say that the power had been cut by militiamen from Bani Walid, currently under siege, but this appears to be increasingly accepted.
One of the reasons people have not been complaining is that many Tripoli homes have large water tanks, with capacities of between 300 and 500 litres. With sensible usage, these should not run out for five days, the period the GMRA say the supply will be disrupted if the electricity supply is reconnected tomorrow, Saturday. However, those connected directly to the main are already suffering.
In Tripoli’s Old City this afternoon, many people were seen carrying empty five-litre plastic bottles, heading off to stock up with water. [/restrict]
