Ramallah: Head of Water Authority, Eng. Mazen Ghuneim, met in his office today with the head of the World Bank mission, Mr. Kanthan Shankar, and the Middle East and North Africa director, Ms. Carmen Dubaz, with the participation of the French Agency mission to discuss the practical steps that the two parties intend to take in a number of development projects being implemented by the Water Authority.
The meeting discussed the preparations underway in the Central Desalination Plant Program and its accompanying works, as well as the preparation of signing agreements for the two World Bank grants at a financial cost of $49 million. These negotiations were completed before the end of October, to cover the rehabilitation of water networks in the central and southern Gaza Strip, with a financial value of about $33 million, It will also support operation and maintenance of small desalination plants in the center and south, in addition to activating and supporting the Department of Wholesale Water in the Gaza Strip, developing the institutional status of water service providers and preparing studies and designs for the wholesale water system in the West Bank.
The two sides also discussed the practical steps that the Water Authority seeks to complete in order to work on the new project for the operation and maintenance of the North Gaza Emergency Sewerage Project, the project includes four items in the stages of operation: maintenance and operation of the station, rehabilitation of the pumping station, establishment of an emergency structure, and organize the preparation of a capacity-building program. The cost of the project is about $10 million and the Palestinian government is involved in covering electricity consumption.
The meeting also discussed the project of the wastewater treatment plant in Hebron and preparations underway to prepare the comprehensive plan, as well as the work related to the Wadi Al-Samen pipeline, which is being financed by the Palestinian government, in addition to discussing the procedures for monitoring and ending environmental fears and procedures for its implementation.
