Amid drought, Tunisia introduces water quota system, puts tight restrictions on usage

Tunis [Tunisia], April 1 : Amid severe drought, Tunisia, the northernmost country in Africa, has put strict restrictions on the usage of water. The government has introduced a water quota system and has banned the usage of potable water for agriculture, Al Jazeera reported.
As the country prepares for another scorching summer, the drought-stricken nation issued additional stringent water consumption restrictions, including a prohibition on the use of potable water for cleaning cars, public places, or farms.
Moreover, according to the national water utility of Tunisia SONEDE, the African country will also Tunisia will cut off water supplies to citizens for seven hours a night in response to the country's worst drought on record, Al Jazeera reported.
On Friday, SONEDE stated that the water will be cut off daily from 9 pm until 4 am, with immediate effect.
Since the beginning of the fasting month of Ramzan, when many people remain up late, residents of many sections of the capital have already complained about unannounced cuts to their main supply during the night.
SONEDE leader, Mosbah Helali, claimed the country was experiencing an unprecedented drought brought on by a lack of precipitation for four years in a row, which SONEDE linked to climate change, reported Al Jazeera.
He urged Tunisians to accept the decision.
If the regulations were broken, he warned, penalties and even prison terms might be considered, as per Al Jazeera.