GMR Authority: We are waiting for orders from the relevant authorities to resolve the problem of halting water 

According to the Man-Made River Project Authority, it is awaiting orders from the appropriate authorities to address the issue of water pumping ceasing.

Salah Saadi, Director of the Authority’s Information Office, told the Libyan news agency (LANA): “At the moment, we are awaiting orders from the relevant State authorities to address the issue of shutting the water system into the capital, Tripoli.”

Al-Saadi stated that it was the responsibility of the State’s relevant authorities to address the issue. According to him, the River Authority was responsible for maintaining the system’s and its personnel’s property.

The River Authority stated that water flowing into all cities and villages along the Al-Sahawnah system’s routes – the Al-Jufra Plain – had been halted after armed men seized the Al-Shuwerf control station and the Al-Sahawnah pumping station.

The GMR Authority explained in a statement that after the break-in on 11 August, negotiations with the armed group were held, and an agreement was reached to postpone the pumping for 72 hours in order to communicate with State actors in order to implement their demand for the release of former regime intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi.

“On 13 August, the Group asked that water be stopped from the Sahawnah – Al-Jufra system since the competent authorities did not reply to their request, and if they did not respond, the pumping would be halted by force,” according to the statement.

The Man-Made River Project Authority said that the system was closed “to safeguard the safety of its workers since it is a civil national organization working hard to secure more than 70% of Libyan towns, and to protect the system’s components from vandalism.”