Ahmad 
The Casablanca-Settat region in Morocco has announced a temporary closure of public baths, in an attempt to rationalize water consumption amid severe drought conditions in the economic capital.
The closure began yesterday, Monday, and will continue until Wednesday, as part of a set of measures to address the severe water shortage.
The decision surprised bath owners who received the instructions on Sunday evening, leaving them no time to reorganize their work, and citizens who went to the baths on Monday morning found their doors closed, and were informed of the decision.
Professionals in the private sector of baths are planning to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, especially after previous closures led to huge losses and affected the livelihoods of workers.
This measure comes in the wake of a series of decisions taken by local authorities in recent months, including restricting the activity of car washes and banning the use of drinking water on the same days.
In a related context, during King Mohammed VI’s speech on the occasion of Throne Day, the worrying water situation was emphasized and the need to preserve water as a national responsibility that concerns all actors in Morocco. The speech stressed the importance of these measures to protect the country from the repercussions of the water crisis.
The water crisis in Morocco is exacerbated by several factors, including declining rainfall, rising temperatures, and shortening snowfall periods, which negatively affect the supply of water from valleys that feed dams. As a result, agricultural production has decreased by up to 70% in some areas, leading to the loss of 270,000 rural jobs in 2023.
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