Assailants damage Southern Shuneh pipeline, attack water authority workers

AMMAN — The Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and security forces are carrying out an “extensive campaign” in Southern Shuneh to end violations on water mains and fix sabotaged pipelines after a maintenance team was attacked by unknown assailants, an official said Monday.

On Saturday a group of unidentified people fired at an eight-inch (20cm) pipeline which conveys water from Al Kafrain Pumping Station to the Southern Shuneh District in the Jordan Valley, causing water disruptions across the area.

“WAJ technical teams headed to the location to fix the damaged parts of the pipeline and as they started work, a group of people attacked them with sticks and sharp tools,” a source at the Water Ministry said. 

“They beat the workers and broke the windows of their vehicles,” he added.

WAJ workers fled and left their tools and vehicles at the site as another group approached, the source said, noting that security forces retrieved the damaged vehicles and equipment from the site of the violations and are currently investigating the incident to track down the assailants.

“On Sunday night, unidentified attackers fired shots at the main carrier again using automatic weapons, which caused massive amounts of water to leak. Now, the majority of Southern Shuneh is witnessing water disruptions,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Southern Shuneh Water Directorate suspended pumping via the pipeline and requested the protection of security forces before dispatching maintenance teams to fix the sabotaged carrier, the source added.

“The assailants are using the stolen water to irrigate their illegal plantations and crops.”

Within this week, WAJ and security forces will inspect all pipelines in Southern Shuneh to end violations and fix the sabotaged parts of the main carrier which supplies the district with its water needs, the official noted.

Under new amendments introduced to the WAJ Law, those who abuse water carriers and mains, wastewater, pumping, purification or desalination stations, or cause the pollution of water resources, pipes or stations used for drinking water, or are involved in the digging of wells without obtaining a licence will be jailed for up to five years and fined up to JD7,000. 

All penalties stipulated under the new law will be doubled in the case of repeat offenders, according to the Water Ministry.