By Hana Namrouqa JORDAN TIMES
AMMAN – Work on a major part of the Disi Water Conveyance Project remains suspended for over a month now due to security concerns and recurring armed attacks targeting workers, a source involved in the implementation of the project said on Wednesday.
Work on the main part of the project, laying pipes on a 160-kilometre stretch between Mudawwara on the Jordanian-Saudi borders and Jafer, has been suspended, added the source, who requested anonymity.
Work in the southern region stopped temporarily after a shooting incident in late September targeted engineers working on the Disi project, the source said.
“Since then, we have been working with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and security agencies to come up with measures to end the attacks and harassment of our workers,” the source told The Jordan Times, noting that teams resumed their work on Monday but were again attacked by a group of people.
“Our engineers were shot at and our vehicles were targeted, therefore, we were forced to stop work again,” the source noted.
This was not the first incident to occur near the Disi project, according to project officials, who said that there have been several shooting incidents, including one in January that left two dead and others injured.
Pipes for the Disi project along the airport highway (JT file photo)
It is not too surprising that the labour problems are now affecting the scheme. The progress is slow and much work is behind time in spite of the announcements that work is progressing. The source of the labour problems come from management of the Contractor. It is time that those responsible should now investigate the work. The project is already being considered by the Corruption Commission, They should include the present work.