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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 February 2000 Issue No. 467 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 February 2000 Issue No. 467
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A better place
By Mona El-NahhasCairo's population is estimated to number 10 million, with another two million commuting into the city from the Delta and Upper Egypt daily -- an increasing burden on the city's utilities and services. Cairo has 26 administrative districts, 35 police stations, 2,700 buses, four universities, more than 3,300 schools and 234 hospitals and health centres employing some 10,000 doctors. Among the plethora of hotels, 54 are classified as "five-star". When Governor Abdel-Rahim Shehata says of Cairo that it is "the centre of decision-making in Egypt and one of the world mega-cities," he knows of what he speaks.
Shehata does not view Cairo's problems as necessarily insoluble. "They can easily be solved," he said. Meeting with the public at one of the Book Fair's pavilions last Sunday, Shehata shed light on his current development plans. "In coordination with officials at different governmental institutions and local councils, Cairo governorate has prepared a comprehensive development programme that is capable of dealing with Cairo's current problems; meeting the actual needs of the people; and putting an end to their problems," he said.
Shehata talked about the first item of the programme, namely, the completion of the infrastructure, a process which cost roughly LE30 billion in the past three five-year plans, in addition to LE5.6 billion necessary for the current five-year plan. "Realising the importance of a powerful infrastructure in the 21st century, state officials have not hesitated to provide the funds necessary for its completion," Shehata said.
Protecting the Nile is another important dimension of the reform programme. The governor said: "We do not allow the erection of any building on the Nile Bank that will deprive Egyptians of enjoying its view. We also aim at putting an end to the pollution of the Nile waters. Yet, we still have to deal with certain governmental bodies which consider their presence on the banks of the Nile to be their right." In this connection, Shehata urged the public to support plans for cleaning the Nile.
Explaining the importance of the programme for developing Fatimid Cairo, Shehata mentioned some of the important buildings in the area such as the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-'As, and the Citadel. "Developing this area will guarantee that Egypt's income from tourism will be increased threefold," Shehata asserted. This work is being overseen by ministerial committees headed by the minister of culture, consultative committees including university professors and an executive committee headed by the governor himself is coordinating their efforts to restore Fatimid Cairo. Talking about what has been achieved thus far, the governor said: "We have already defined a number of dwellings that constitute a threat to the environment and beautification. These will be relocated to the neighbourhood of Manshiet Nasser after providing their owners with alternative ones," the governor said, adding that 7,000 housing units will be built there. Shehata said that the sewage project in the district of Gammaliya has been carried out, and the restoration of about 20 archaeological sites has been completed.
Urban development is also on the governor's development agenda. Eighty-one shanty towns will be totally redeveloped. However, the governor noted that some areas, such as the low-income neighbourhood of Zeinhom, actually need to be overhauled completely. "Utilities and services will be of no use there," he said.
The governor said the programme gives special attention to Cairo's traffic problem for which he has suggested several solutions, including the erection of about a dozen underground garages, the opening of new roads and the application of the traffic law without any exceptions. The final item of the reform programme concerns human development: improving standards of education and health and creating job opportunities for those entering the workforce.
