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Uses of the water of the Nile

Egypt, Aswan, district of El Gozira (70 families).

Discussion with Hanna and Mahmoud, brother and sister inhabitants the district since always.

Hydrotour : : Good evening Hanna and Mahmoud, thank you to thus receive us in your house in whom we go last the night and to answer our questions.
Historically can you recall us the evolution of the water conveyance in the district?
Hanna : When I had not been born yet and until I have ten years, we did not have any network of water conveyance, my mother was going tous.les.jours to seek the water which we needed in the Nile. I cannot say to you how much outward journey and return it made, but I think that that represented 40 Liters. Fortunately the Nile is to 300 m from here and as soon as we had the age of it, we could help our mother.

"it is not the role of the men. They must work in the fields or the factory "

Hydrotour : Only were the women going to seek water ?
Hanna : Yes, it is not the role of the men. They must work with the fields or the factory. We, we have the load of all the domestic tasks.
Fifteen years ago, when the government installed a tap in the district, it was always the role of the girls to go to seek water. We are a family of three boys and two girl and we were going tous.les.jours with jerry cans to seek the water which we needed for the household, the kitchen…

HY : The water which arrived at this tap was chlorinated?
H : Yes, as that which we have received directly in the house for three years.
Now, we have three taps, one in the kitchen, one in the toilets and an outside. Water that we consume, we put it in the Earthenware jar (15-20 Liters) which you see from here, it makes it possible to refresh water and to remove the odor of chlorine to him. Every evening, we clean it with water with a brush before filling it for the following day.
Mahmoud : We consume 30m³ per month. But a great part is used to wash the vegetables which we report of the fields. We pay it 60 piastres the m³ (0,10 € ).

HY : Who made the step to have water ?
M : All the district. Our father died 20 years ago, it is thus me the elder one (33 years old) which has to make the steps for the family at the same time as all the houses of the district. One month after the Ministry for Water and the Irrigation had done what is necessary and we had running water.

HY : What happenhappen does worn water ?
M : Each house of the district made dig a pit skeptic, we do not have yet all-with-the sewer but the government promised it to us for soon.

HY : For five years you have rented a piece on the edge of the Nile that you to cultivate after your work with your junior. Can you explain us how irrigate it to you?
M : As you saw when you came to see me a few moments ago, the piece is bordered by a channel whose level is higher than the Nile (which is to 50 m of the fields). This channel is underwater only one week out of two. It is the Ministry which manages that. The week when we have water, let us pump we it out of this channel with a large diesel engine and we flood the pieces cultivated using small ground channels. This twice in the week.

"When I am in the field, I directly drink the water of the channel, and I never had problem"

HY : Which is the quality of the water of the Nile?
M : It is excellent just like that of the tap. When I am with field (note: downstream from Aswan), I drink the water of the channel directly, and I never had problem (note: though they say many Egyptians of it suffer from chronic diarrhoeas, which we could easily note in the toilets).

HY : A few moments ago we saw all these banks of the Nile whose green is of an intensity surprising compared to the surrounding desert landscape. Can you say to us what you cultivate ?
M : We have oranges, mangos, guavas, some banana trees, some pomegranates and of course of the date palms. We do a little corn, but just for our cow and the consumption of the family. The remainder is market gardening which requires much work, but allows us several rotations per annum. We have various kinds of salads, onions, garlic, etc…

HY : Did you already intend to speak about the International Year of Fresh Water ?
H : Yes, it of isn't all the countries in favour of water is an initiative ?
Mahmoud : No, never.

" Allah created everything starting from water"

HY : What does water represent for you ?
Hanna : In Coran it is known as: "Allah created everything starting from water".
Mahmoud :
For us, Egyptians, it is even more important; Without the water of the Nile, we would be only one vast desert. So we have a festival on August 16 for that.

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Photographs


The car and Geoffroy in the Hanna and Mahmoud's district. Here, Geoffroy speaks with Ahmed one of the brothers


The terra cotta earthenware jar. It refreshes water and allows him elutriated and to lose its chlorine taste


A water meter all that there is of more traditional


The field which Mahmoud rents on the edges of the Nile


Ahmed the brother of Mahmoud and the girl of the financial backer. It is him which sells vegetables on the market as of 4h00 of the morning


Piece division in small square limited by dams being used to contain water at the time of the irrigation by flood


Famous Mahmoud, working. at the time of the photograph it is 18h00 it worked already of 7h00 with 15h00 with the factory and finishes its day with the field


The ass which is used for drawn the charette on which are posed vegetables after harvest


The channel empties one week out of two

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