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Authorities in Tunisia are shutting off water in the capital and other cities in what appears to be an attempt to reduce consumption amid a severe drought, BTA reports.  

Local residents reported that such a measure was taken without warning in Tunis, Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir and Sfax at night.

This could be a prelude to tension in the country, which suffers from poor access to public services, high inflation and a weakened economy.

Officials of the water supply company in Tunis have declined to comment on the case.

Milk shortage in Tunisia angers people

Drought is a major problem in the North African country and the government has already warned that it may start turning off water at night during the summer to reduce consumption due to a shortage of supplies in the country.

However, the prolonged lack of rainfall appears to have prompted authorities to already take this measure in some places, Reuters notes.

Tunisia saw scant rainfall from September last year to mid-March.

As a result, the flow rate of water reservoirs in the country decreased by about 1 billion cubic meters.

The Sidi Salem dam in northern Tunisia, which is the main source of water for several provinces, for example, is only 16 percent full of its maximum capacity of 580 million cubic meters, Reuters said.

Tunisia

water regime

prolonged drought