The government’s continued negligence of the court ruling banning Nile pollution leads to a new health disaster in Aswan

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) is deeply concerned about the rising cases of serious illnesses among the residents of Abu El-Rish village and its surrounding areas. This crisis has resulted in dozens of citizens, including children and the elderly, being hospitalized in critical condition, suffering from severe vomiting and gastrointestinal infections.

This situation coincides with the worsening water pollution crisis in Aswan. The Egyptian Center emphasizes that this represents a growing humanitarian and health catastrophe, exacerbated by the government’s persistent failure to address the root causes and take the issue seriously.

Escalating Crisis

Over the past week, the number of illness cases has surged alarmingly in multiple hamlets within Abu El-Rish village due to the ongoing contamination of drinking water with wastewater and industrial discharge, which are funneled into the Siel Drain. This drain flows directly into the Nile near the main water intake for the village. Despite repeated pleas from residents, the government has failed to implement effective measures to resolve the crisis, putting thousands of lives at risk, according to Mustafa Al-Hassan, Director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center.

Residents Protest… Officials Promise Negotiations

Al-Hassan noted that residents of Abu El-Rish staged a protest on Saturday, calling for urgent repairs to the deteriorating water filtration system and for the main water intake to be relocated to a safer area in the middle of the Nile, away from contamination sources. They also demanded that their village be included in the presidential initiative “Decent Life” to modernize the drinking water network and implement the long-awaited sewage project.

Although a government and security delegation arrived at the protest site to negotiate with the residents, these talks have so far only resulted in promises to liaise with the relevant authorities, while the crisis continues without tangible solutions on the ground, according to Al-Hassan.

Government Ignorance of Court Rulings… The Danger Persists

The most concerning aspect is the government’s ongoing disregard for court rulings related to the crisis. The Administrative Court of Aswan previously issued rulings in cases No. 1685 and 4652 of Judicial Year 4, mandating the government to take necessary measures to prevent the discharge of wastewater and industrial pollutants into the Siel Drain and to immediately halt and remove the sources of contamination. However, the government appealed the ruling, blatantly ignoring citizens’ rights and continuing to endanger their lives.

Years have passed since this case, yet the government has failed to take serious steps to enforce the ruling. This delay constitutes a flagrant violation of the Egyptian Constitution and the laws governing the protection of the Nile, particularly Law No. 48 of 1982, as well as the Nile Protection Document signed on April 23, 2015.

Health and Environmental Risks

Reports indicate that the wastewater and industrial pollutants discharged into the Nile contain toxic substances that cause severe diseases, such as kidney failure and gastrointestinal disorders, explaining the rise in serious illness cases among Aswan residents. The court, in its landmark ruling in February 2021, confirmed after an on-site inspection of the Siel Drain that the pollution from these discharges poses a serious violation of citizens’ rights to clean and safe drinking water.

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights stresses that the lives of citizens should not be compromised or negotiated. Ensuring the right of Aswan residents to a clean environment and safe drinking water, and protecting their health from the dangers of ongoing governmental negligence, requires immediate action without delay.

Accordingly, the Egyptian Center calls for:

1. The immediate enforcement of the court rulings that require the government to stop discharging pollutants into the Nile and take urgent measures to clean the Siel Drain.

2. The modernization of the drinking water network in Abu El-Rish village and its surrounding areas, ensuring that the main water intake is relocated to a safe area in the middle of the Nile, away from pollution sources.

3. The inclusion of Abu El-Rish village in the presidential initiative “Decent Life” to modernize the sewage system and implement urgent projects to improve water infrastructure.

4. An independent and immediate investigation into the delays in finding solutions and the ongoing government negligence, with accountability for those responsible for endangering citizens’ lives.

5. The launch of a comprehensive health awareness campaign in Aswan regarding the risks of pollution and how to prevent diseases resulting from it, alongside providing urgent medical services to those affected.