A sewage project in East Riffa is finally set to go ahead after more than three years of delays. It will be handled in six phases and will cover blocks 901, 903, 905 and 909, said Bahrain ministry officials.

The project is expected to take around 30 months to be completed and is hoped will be up and running by June 2014, they added.

Residents have reportedly been forced to regularly walk through streets flooded with human faeces because of overflowing septic tanks, said area councillor Mohammed Moosa.

"The fact it could finally see the light is reassuring. But we do need to ensure it is conducted in a timely manner and in proper phases," he noted.

Moosa said the area was considered one of the oldest in the governorate and said the ministry should handle the project carefully.

The problem was first highlighted by then Southern Municipal Council chairman Ali Al Mohannadi in October 2007.-TradeArabia News Service