Ahmad 
The government mandated by the Libyan House of Representatives declared a state of extreme emergency in the western city of Zliten due to the high groundwater level on the ground.
The government urged the concerned authorities to take the necessary exceptional measures to address the resulting situation, including protecting the city’s residents from the dangers of these waters and helping them overcome their effects.
For its part, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the Libyan House of Representatives called in a statement for the immediate and urgent intervention of the Libyan government and all competent authorities to solve the problem of the high groundwater level in the city of Zliten, in order to avoid a humanitarian or environmental disaster.
During the press conference held by the Government of National Unity in Tripoli on Tuesday, the mayor of Zliten, Muftah Hammadi, announced that 80 houses will be evacuated, and said: “The network of leaching and displacement estimated at 5,000 square meters will be started, and it will be superficial provided by the advisory team of the local council.”
Hammadi added: “The phenomenon of polluted swamps and ponds is currently being treated by injecting them with chemical pesticides, to prevent the spread of harmful pests under the supervision of the Environmental Sanitation Office.”
The city of Zliten has been witnessing a strange phenomenon for years, represented by the rush of groundwater upwards, causing damage to buildings and agricultural land, and the phenomenon has intensified in recent weeks, prompting families to flee the city.
Observers speculate that the man-made river, a huge irrigation project, may have contributed to an increase in the water table along the coast, leading to cracks in the ground layers.
خلال مؤتمر صحفي بشأن مستجدات الأوضاع بـ #زليتن، عميد البلدية مفتاح حمادي يعلن البدء في إنشاء شبكة نزح سطحية بمساحة 5 آلاف متر، مؤكدا أنها ستساعد في الحد من ارتفاع منسوب المياه بالمدينة.#حكومتنا #ليبيا#حكومة_الوحدة_الوطنية pic.twitter.com/bVOMSZoiu4
— حكومتنا (@Hakomitna) February 7, 2024
Rising levels of groundwater have flooded Libya's Zlitan, forcing some residents to move to other places amid fears over erosion and infrastructure collapse pic.twitter.com/brP9m5hIUx
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 5, 2024