It is a common to see two types of monster vehicles traveling on roads in Riyadh – concrete mixers and water tankers. While the concrete mixers signify the construction boom in the capital, the water tankers expose the severe water shortage which exists in some parts of the city. The worst affected districts are Malaz, Ghubaira, Shimaysi and Hara or Hayyal Wuzara, which are all densely populated areas.



It is reported that the city consumes a daily average of 1.2 million cubic meters of water. Some 34 percent of this water is groundwater while the remaining 66 percent is desalinated water supplied through pipelines from the Eastern Province. We learnt a couple of months ago that some repairs are being undertaken on a few pipelines which supply water from the Eastern Province, which has amounted to a 30 percent reduction in the supply. This is a huge slice out of the city’s daily water consumption. We should also consider the extra usage of water for construction work, apart from the water that is used for domestic consumption.



It is noticeable that many breadwinners of families have given up talking about the rising cost of food and house rent and instead are concerned with the present pressing basic need – water. A friend of mine living in Ghubaira told me that he shares a water tanker with three other families every day, which costs SR 25 per head amounting to an extra monthly expense of SR 750 for a middle class family.



In addition to the inconvenience of the shortage of water, the frequent movement of these giant tankers on the road is causing severe traffic problems especially at intersections.



However, I should admit that many parts of the city have not experienced any water shortage yet, including Sulaimania, where I live. I hope the residents who are currently undergoing this hardship will be relieved soon by corrective measures taken by the concerned authorities.

S. H. Moulana, Riyadh