Damascus-SANA
The People's Assembly, in its tenth session of the third regular session of the third legislative session, held today under the chairmanship of Hammouda Sabbagh, Speaker of the Assembly, discussed the performance of the Ministry of Water Resources and issues related to its work.
The Minister of Water Resources, Eng. Tammam Raad, gave a presentation on the ministry's work plan, where work is underway to implement a number of sewage treatment plants in Lattakia, Tartous, Rural Damascus and Damascus to remove pollution from the Barada River and to implement the Aleppo treatment plant, where technical offers are currently being evaluated.
Minister Raad clarified that the ministry is continuing to improve the reality of drinking water, as 55 wells have been drilled and equipped since the beginning of the year, 53 reservoirs have been maintained and 132 km long water networks have been replaced, and the cost has reached 33 billion Syrian pounds, and 65 wells are being drilled in different locations in the governorates, indicating that some of these projects Funded by international organizations.
Raad pointed out that one of the most important drinking water projects is the completion of the second draft line for the city of Hama and the draft line from the Orontes River to Homs. Hama and the project of irrigating the villages of Sukrah and its environs in Homs, completing a number of irrigation projects in As-Suwayda, completing the irrigation of Salkhad city, implementing the first pumping station in Tartous and replacing the water networks in Adra al-Omaliyeh.
Minister Raad indicated that the ministry is working to secure a permanent and reserve water source to supply drinking water projects and basic industrial facilities in the coastal, central and southern regions by benefiting from desalination of sea water, spring water and surplus water from dams in the coastal region, and work is being done to complete the national plan for the spatial treatment and use of sewage water. In agriculture, it was prepared in coordination with the Ministries of Local Administration, Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and the Planning and International Cooperation Authority, and the necessary funding for its implementation is being completed.
In their interventions, a number of council members stressed the deterioration of the reality of drinking water in a number of rural governorates, especially Hasaka, Latakia and Daraa, and the need to find quick and emergency solutions to secure water for citizens, and coordinate with the Ministry of Electricity to constantly secure electricity for drinking water pumps, indicating that there is a top priority to securing drinking water for the city. Al-Hasakah and the arrival of maintenance workers and technical workshops to the Allouk station, knowing that the operating wells range from 8 to 10 wells, and the city needs 100,000 cubic meters of water per day.
Some members called for accelerating the completion of the implementation of irrigation and drinking water projects in As-Suwayda Governorate, securing the necessary mechanisms to isolate irrigation channels in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor and accelerating the implementation of the third traction line in Qadmous in Tartous Governorate, as well as the sewage plant and Akkar Plain stations and addressing the drinking water crisis in Jaramana in Damascus countryside In which the night electricity rationing was canceled and no water was pumped to it, the sewage treatment plant was implemented in Eastern Ghouta, the pollution of dams and water dams was removed, and water was secured for Al-Dhiyabiya, Al-Hussainiya and Hujaira.
A number of members called for connecting the wells of the liberated countryside of Aleppo to the water network, securing the infrastructure of irrigation and drinking water channels in the liberated Idlib countryside, licensing wells and drilling wells in the southeastern countryside of Homs Governorate, addressing the problem of water from the sugar factory and sewage station that flows into the Orontes River, and increasing the hours of supply. With water in Kassab in the countryside of Lattakia, treatment of water from al-Dabbaghat factories and sewage waterfalls that flow into the Barada River, desalinating water wells in Tartous, securing drinking water for Darayya in rural Damascus, re-equipping its wells with pumps and electrical panels, maintaining and repairing water tanks, and preventing sewage from reaching the Jaboul area in Aleppo countryside.
In his response to the members’ demands, the Minister of Water Resources indicated that the hours of electrical rationing sometimes reach between 6 and 8 hours, and this means that one drinking water well operates at a third of its capacity, and there is an urgent need to operate pumping stations and generating sets in light of the problem of securing fuel, pointing out that the Work to address the issue of some thirsty gatherings in the governorates of Lattakia and Daraa, knowing that 15 billion pounds were added to the budget, raising the percentage of work implementation to 58 percent until the beginning of last May.
Minister Raad confirmed that an order has been given to start implementing 4 desalination plants for drinking wells in Al-Hasakah governorate, and there are contracts to dig 4 new water wells in the city and put them into service before the end of this year, in addition to 4 desalination plants in Al-Sayeda Zainab area in Damascus countryside, indicating that all the council members’ demands It will be processed according to the available financial capabilities and will be answered in writing.
At the end of the session, the Chairman of the Council confirmed that there are 25 questions and a written memorandum by the members of the Ministry of Water Resources that will be sent to the Ministry to respond to them in writing, along with the members’ demands under the dome, while a number of members reiterated the need to work to secure drinking water for the city of Hasaka and expedite the implementation of more desalination plants And the city's water wells as emergency solutions.
The session, which was attended by the Minister of State for People's Assembly Affairs, Eng. Maloul Al-Hussein, was adjourned to 12 noon tomorrow, Tuesday.
Waseem Al-Adawi and Firas Safi