The treated waste produced by the pilot wastewater treatment plant in Sbikha (North of Kairouan) will be used for irrigation of fodder and fruit trees, especially given the presence of many state lands in the region, said Acting Minister of Local Affairs and Environment, Kamal Eddoukh.

Speaking at the inauguration on Thursday of this plant, Eddoukh recalled that this station was carried out with funding from the French Development Agency (AFD), as part of the fifth tranche of the sanitation programme for popular neighbourhoods (PNAQP5).

It will improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the region and the preservation of the environment, he added.

For his part, French ambassador to Tunisia, André Parant said that this station was carried out under the cooperation between the AFD and the National Sanitation Utility (ONAS) at a cost of over 12 million dinars.

He considered that this is one of the most important environmental projects that will have a health and environmental impact on the region.

He said that other cooperation projects will be scheduled in the field of water and environment, which are among the priority projects of the agency in Tunisia.

The objective of this project is to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of Sbikha and all surrounding areas, said CEO of ONAS, Abdel Majid Bettaib.

He said that the partnership with the AFD has focused on the connection of 1.4 million inhabitants to the public sewerage network of popular neighbourhoods, for an investment of over 1,000 million dinars.

The water treatment plant has been in operation since December 2020. More than 9,000 inhabitants will benefit from its services.

Source: TAP News Agency