HM the King chairs signing ceremony of convention on integrated program for Oujda urban development
PERSISMA, Oujda (20 Juni 2013) – HM King Mohammed VI chaired here on Thursday the signing ceremony of a convention related to the 2013-2016 integrated program for the city urban development, meant to support the economic, urban and demographic expansion of the Oriental capital.
Endowed with an overall budget of 826 million dirhams, the ambitious program revolves around five major axes: consolidating the road, drinking water and liquid sanitation networks, protecting environment, developing sports facilities and recreational spaces, promoting cultural activities and supporting social action, mainly by relocating inhabitants of decaying constructions and buildings endangered by floods.
The convention was signed by interior minister, Mohand Laenser, housing, urbanism and urban policy minister, Mohamed Nabil Benabdellah, youth and sports minister, Mohamed Ouzzine, equipment and transport minister, Aziz Rebbah, energy, mining, water and environment minister, Fouad Douiri and culture minister Mohammed Amine Sbihi.
It was also signed by the high commissioner for water, forests and the fight against desertification, Abdelaadim El Hafi, the Wali of the Oriental region, governor of the Oujda-Angad prefecture, Mohamed Mhidia, the region president, Ali Belhaj, Director of the agency for the development of oriental region, Mohamed Mbarki, president of the Oujda urban commune, Omar Hjira, president of the Oujda-Angad prefectoral council, Lakhdar Haddouche and general manager of the Oujda autonomous board for water and electricity, Rachid Benchikhi.
The four-year program completes a set of projects started in the city, mainly those related to the waste water and rain water collecting grids in the city’s northern and center-east parts and in the “Tennis” neighbourhood.
The project, to cost 95 million Dirhams, consists in consolidating the C9 collector, extending the rain water shedder to the Bouchtat river (4,890 meters of various calibers pipes) and reinforcing the liquid sanitation grid in the Tennis neighborhood -by laying down 3,400 m of pipes. Works are expected to last till September 2013.
In addition, a project for the extension of the liquid sanitation grids of the city’s northwestern and eastern sectors (28 million dirhams) was already completed. It consisted in laying down 3,250 meters of liquid sanitation pipes, building a pumping plant, and also laying down 1,970 meters of pipes.
On the occasion, HM King Mohammed VI launched the construction works of the urban freeway linking the FAR Boulevard to the western bypass. Requiring an investment of 65 million DH, the project seeks to alleviate the congestion of the city’s western part, mainly the Mohammed V bridge. Meanwhile, the 4th El Garbouz road, 28 million DH, and the 6.5 km-long second lane of the city’s western bypass (64.2 million DH) were completed.
These achievements will be consolidated by the road network restructuring and reinforcement strategy in the city of Oujda and its vicinity by 2020.
The strategy ambitions to improve the liaison between the prefecture roads and other structuring projects, particularly the Oujda-Fes highway, the technopolis, the health pole of Sidi Moussa Lamhaya, the logistical pole at Bni Oukil and the new urban pole.
