In grim drought, Tunisians ration water in state-ordered ban

By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA and MEHDI EL AREM
Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisians are on the front lines of a battle against an increasingly severe drought, now in its fifth year in the north African country, with the government issuing a sudden order to its population to ration their water usage from April to September — or risk fines or jail. Spigots are cut off for seven hours from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in a state-ordered water rationing in regions across the country, including Tunis, the capital city. The rationing began at the start of April and will continue through September. Those using water for impermissible reasons risk fines of 60 to 1,000 dinars ($20 to $320) or prison sentences ranging from six days to nine months in the most serious cases.