Collapse of (Arbaat Dam) Exacerbated the Problem..(Red Sea Water) .. A Renewable Crisis

Port Sudan: Ahmed Omar Khojali

The repercussions of the collapse of Arbaat Dam have ignited the issue of drinking water in the city of Port Sudan and the entire Red Sea State once again and forcefully. The obsession with water in the city has remained one of the chronic concerns and problems that have exhausted officials in their attempts to address it.

Background of the Problem

The cause of water problem in Port Sudan is the lack of fixed sources of fresh water, except for the fluctuating rainwater that feeds the (Arbaat) reservoir, the only source of drinking water in the city, which has witnessed a significant growth in population over the past twenty years, which has increased the need for more water. The number of neighborhoods in the city has increased from eleven in 1964 to become more than 190 neighborhoods now. The animal-drawn carts (locally named “karoo”) have become an alternative to regular official water connections, as they are roaming the neighborhoods and supplying them with water, in exchange for amounts of money that rise and fall according to the theory of supply and demand, as the summer season witnesses citizens suffering due to the high prices, which are not affordable by the poor classes.

Actual need

The actual need for the state’s population, estimated at about one million nine hundred thousand people (1,900,000), in addition to the number of the newcomers in the last year of the war from the states of Khartoum, Gezira, Sennar, Kordofan and Darfur. The Wali (governor) of the Red Sea State, in an interview with (Sudanese Echoes), revealed that the population of the state has increased and, perhaps, doubled, and the daily need reaches about 200 thousand cubic meters, and the deficit before the advent of the newcomers to Portsudan and the state, in general, jumped to 50%.

Water Dams in the State

There are several water sources in the state, the most important of which are dams, most notably the (Arbaat) Dam, the (Mog) Dam, the (Dum) Dam, and the (Salalab) Dam, which store quantities of water, but the latter two do not have transmission lines as is the case in (Arbaat) and (Mog). In Sinkat Locality, we find the (Jabbait Al-Ashraf), (Tawi), (Teta) and (Habet) Dams, whose combined production capacity reaches eight thousand cubic meters of water. In Suakin, we find the (Haidob) Dam. In Ageig is the (Tay) Dam. In Haya Locality, the (Gadeit) Dam, and the (Oseif) Dam in the (Oseif) Locality. The (Kor) Dam feeds the Locality of Jabbait Al-Maaden, where there are no transmission lines to monitor its production volume.

Arbaat Dam

Khor Arbaat was discovered in 1905. After about 15 years, drilling operations began on a number of wells, and in 1925, the first main pipe was pulled. Some of the wells that were drilled are still working to this day, and more are being drilled over the years according to increasing needs. In 2004, the construction of the upper dam of (Arbaat) was completed with a total capacity of 16 million cubic meters. The capacity of the earthen dam (the fourth dam), is 5 million cubic meters. A problem occurred in the gates of (Arbaat) Dam since 2004, which led to the accumulation of silt, which led to the loss of 75% of the dam’s storage capacity.

Desalination Plants

Desalination plants are considered important sources of water in the state, including the Port Sudan Truck Station and the Suakin Station. Sinkat Locality benefits from the Jabbait and Sinkat desalination stations. The Dongonab desalination station supplies the Jabbait Al-Maaden Locality, the Oseif station, and Salbona desalination plant.