Minister Ghanem and CMWU Visit the Sewage Treatment Plant in Khan Younis Governorate

Minister Ghanem and CMWU Visit the Sewage Treatment Plant in Khan Younis Governorate

Gaza – CMWU

Water Authority Chairman Minister Eng. Mazen Ghanem visited the sewage treatment plant in Khan Younis governorate, accompanied by a delegation from CMWU that included Eng. Monther Shoblaq, the Utility's Director-General, Eng. Fareed Ashour, Director of the Central Gaza Sewage Project Management Unit, and Eng. Yahya Abu Obeid, CMWU's Director-General's Advisor for Sanitation Affairs – Director of the Khan Younis project, with the visit including a meeting with Dr. Ahmed Al-Shaibi, Governor of Khan Younis city, the mayors of Khan Younis governorate's municipalities, and representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Eng. Ashraf Abu Shamala from UNDP reviewed, during the meeting, the stages of constructing the first phase of the treatment plant and the advanced technology used in its operation according to international standards, affirming the plant's treatment efficiency reaching better than the design values, with the meeting including a discussion between the attendees and Minister Ghanem on the most important challenges facing the plant's operation and ensuring the continuation of its operation efficiently and at a high operating cost, particularly regarding the energy source, affirming the importance of implementing the project to construct a dedicated solar power production unit, particularly amid the continuing electricity crisis, with the attendees also affirming the importance of working to secure the support needed for the plant's operating budget and enabling CMWU to operate it after transferring the authority to manage the plant's operation from the developing company to CMWU, within an expected period of less than a year from the date.

The participating mayors praised the role of the Water Authority and CMWU in serving the residents of Khan Younis governorate through this extremely important project, calling for the continuation of efforts towards implementing the sewage network project for the residents of the towns east of Khan Younis governorate.

In turn, Eng. Shoblaq affirmed the Utility's commitment to carrying out its role in operating the treatment plant and working in cooperation with all partners, particularly the Water Authority, in order to overcome the obstacles to sustaining its operation and serving all the residents of Khan Younis governorate, calling for the continuation of communication with the project's donor institutions in order to continue supporting the plant's needs of the operating budget and implementing the solar power project.

In turn, Minister Ghanem highly praised the efforts made by all the partners in this project, particularly UNDP, in order to complete this vital and strategic project, with generous support from the Islamic Development Bank and the Japanese government, calling for the importance of continuing to work with a team spirit in order to overcome the obstacles and confront the challenges facing the continuation of operating the plant with the required efficiency and serving the residents of Khan Younis governorate.

Minister Ghanem stressed the importance of consultation between all parties in order to determine the priorities to be set for presentation to donor institutions to fund this project, particularly amid the availability of an abundance of budget allocated for this project, with the importance of giving priority to securing the plant's operational elements.

At the end of the visit, Minister Ghanem took an inspection tour inside the plant and reviewed its components and way of working, praising the effort made to complete the first phase, announcing the beginning of the plant's trial operation.