Casablanca Hammam Owners Protest Water Restrictions, Demand Reopening

The owners of hammams and public baths in the economic capital of the kingdom are angry. They express their exasperation with the measure taken a few months ago by the local authorities to force them to close three days a week in order to ration water. Outraged by this situation which is causing them harm, they call for the lifting of this decision which had been suspended during the month of Ramadan.

Professionals in the sector are calling for dialogue with the local authorities, stressing that these restrictions have a negative impact on the prices charged. During a demonstration reported by Al Akhbar, they invited the authorities to allow them to reopen every day, especially after the recent rainfall that has helped fill the dams.

They assure that the customers of the hammams are not the ones who waste water. "The water from the domestic showers comes from drinking water and therefore from the water from the dams. The establishments of the public baths depend largely on well water," explains the daily.

Wali Mohamed Mhidia had ordered the partial closure of hammams, car washes in Casablanca, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In a written response, the Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, had explained that the closure of hammams should take place during specific periods of the year to fight against water stress.