Damascus-SANA
The Prime Minister, Engineer Hussein Arnous, called on the Ministry of Water Resources and all concerned parties to take appropriate measures to achieve water security, implement programs and plans related to the water resources sector, according to the priorities and needs of each region, and focus on projects that achieve additional water resources and contribute to improving and increasing irrigated areas and using modern technologies to achieve The technical and economic efficiency of the sector.
While chairing a meeting today at the Ministry of Water Resources, Eng. Arnous stressed the need to exert all available energies and capabilities to implement the Ministry’s plans, develop measurable programs, and work to reduce production costs, increase productivity, reduce water waste rates, and rely on national competencies to overcome the difficulties caused by the unjust economic siege imposed on Syria. Working in two complementary tracks requires finding additional sources of water resources and optimally managing the available resources.
The Prime Minister pointed out the need to complete irrigation projects in the southern plains of Aleppo, As-Suwayda and the eastern countryside of each of the governorates of Aleppo and Homs, and to complete the project to remove pollution from the Barada River within the specified time period, and to expand electronic services in all institutions affiliated with the ministry.
The Minister of Water Resources, Eng. Tammam Raad, gave a presentation on the current reality and future vision of the water resources sector, which included the ministry’s plan in the areas of administrative reform, drinking water, irrigation, agriculture and sanitation, pointing to the steps that have been taken to enter the electronic payment system, simplify procedures, and work to increase water resources designated for drinking and renew Replacing networks to raise their efficiency and increasing reliance on rainwater harvesting, working to rehabilitate projects destroyed by terrorism, and using spatial treatment plants to secure the needs of fodder crops.
He pointed to the most important works that are being worked on during the current year, including completing the construction of dams (Bradoun, Faqi Hassan and Al-Balouta), completing the rehabilitation of the northern Al-Mashnaf and Ghayda dams, completing the implementation of the Mukarramah wells in Sweida, contracting the construction of four new dams, drilling and preparing new wells, in addition to a number of strategic projects to increase the area irrigated agricultural land.
Continuous coordination between the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources was emphasized to organize the irrigation process and address the reality of unlicensed wells to preserve the groundwater reserves and to start the rehabilitation of the Martyr Basil al-Assad station in Deir ez-Zor. of expenses.
The participants in the meeting stressed not to grant any license to a new residential complex without securing an independent water source for it that does not affect the water reality in the region, in addition to preventing encroachments on the Euphrates River bed in Deir ez-Zor and increasing coordination with the Ministry of Electricity to pump drinking water to secure the needs of citizens.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Muhammad Hassan Qatna, the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Dr. Qais Khader, the Chairman of the Planning and International Cooperation Authority, Dr. Imad Sabouni, and the directors of institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Water Resources.