Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aaty said, on Wednesday, that the Irrigation Ministry is currently implementing several projects nationwide at a total cost exceeding EGP 100bn, in coordination with other state bodies.
During a meeting with heads of departments in the ministry to follow up on the water situation in the country, Abdel Aaty directed to accelerate the implementation of ongoing project to shift from flood irrigation to modern irrigation system.
He emphasised the necessity of educating farmers on modern irrigation systems and preparing a weekly report on violations.
Moreover, the Irrigation Ministry is currently carrying out rehabilitation of some irrigation canals with a total length of 6,185 km, and at a total cost of EGP 18bn. The rehabilitation process is scheduled to be completed by 2022.
Rehabilitation of canals coincides with shifting to modern irrigation systems, using renewable energy in pumping groundwater as an environmentally friendly source, saving operating and maintenance expenses, and preserving the underground water reserves by controlling the number of operating hours.
The meeting also touched on the ministry’s preparations for the wet season.
Regarding the precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the minister highlighted the necessity of adhering to these measures and decreasing the number of workers at the ministry’s headquarters.
