Almost four years after severe flooding hit the wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou in November 2018, the allocated funds for repairs remain largely unutilized. The Algerian government had earmarked 89 billion centimes for rehabilitation efforts across 19 daïras. However, according to Aït Benamara Saadi, interim president of the Tizi-Ouzou Provincial Assembly's planning commission, only one project – the rehabilitation of Tassalast beach in Tigzirt – has been completed.
The allocated funds were divided between two main areas: 28 billion centimes for the Public Works Directorate to focus on reinforcement, gabionage, and repair of damaged structures, and nearly 58 billion centimes for the Water Resources Directorate. The latter aimed to clear and clean oueds and talwegs, as well as rehabilitate 21 damaged sewage conduits. Despite these efforts, local authorities express frustration over the slow pace of progress.
Aït Benamara Saadi highlighted the pressing need to complete all planned projects before the upcoming winter season to prevent similar disasters. During a recent meeting with heads of the Public Works and Water Resources directorates, officials emphasized the importance of taking preventive measures. The allocated funds have been available since December 2018, but bureaucratic delays have hindered the initiation of most projects.
The Water Resources Directorate received 58 billion centimes, which were further divided into two parts. Approximately 15 billion centimes were allocated for clearing oueds and talwegs over 33,300 linear meters, while nearly 38 billion centimes were set aside for rehabilitating sewage conduits. This included 21,440 linear meters of conduits, 2,665 linear meters of caniveaux, and 7,280 cubic meters of gabions.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the distribution of the 28.3 billion centimes allocated to the Public Works Directorate. Aït Benamara Saadi stated that the Directorate worked independently without considering the assessments made by the planning commission. As a result, some areas with minimal damage received substantial funding, while others with more extensive damage received insufficient allocations.
In response to these irregularities, the planning commission rejected the Public Works Directorate's distribution plan. A new meeting is scheduled to take place, involving the President of the Provincial Assembly, to ensure a more equitable allocation of the budget. This meeting aims to consider the assessments made by the crisis cell established to address the aftermath of the floods.
The people of Tizi-Ouzou continue to face the consequences of the 2018 floods, with many areas still awaiting repairs. Local authorities are under pressure to expedite the rehabilitation process and ensure that necessary measures are in place to mitigate the impact of future disasters. The effectiveness of their efforts will be closely monitored in the coming months.
Key points
- Only one project, the rehabilitation of Tassalast beach, has been completed using funds allocated for repairs after the 2018 floods in Tizi-Ouzou.
- The Algerian government allocated 89 billion centimes for rehabilitation efforts across 19 daïras in Tizi-Ouzou.
- Bureaucratic delays have hindered the initiation of most projects aimed at repairing damage from the 2018 floods.
