Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi stressed the need to make use of the largest amount of available water in a manner that does not harm the environment, directing the Ministries of Electricity, Irrigation and Water Resources, Agriculture and Land Reclamation, to provide the necessary facilities to expand land reclamation in Toshka, southern Egypt.
During the inauguration of the national project “Toshka Al-Khair” on Sunday, the president ordered increasing agricultural lands. “Toshka Al-Khair” is the largest land reclamation project in the Middle East.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and a number of ministers and senior statesmen.
Al-Sisi stressed the necessity of using recycled water in the reclamation process. “We must note that the water used here in land reclamation is agricultural wastewater that has been treated and is suitable for agriculture according to the standards,” he said.
The president further ordered the government to provide support and conduct the necessary studies to reclaim more than 400,000 feddan in “Branch 4” area in Toshka. Al-Sisi also said that ornamental plants will no longer be cultivated in Toshka.
He explained that the state could not delay the annexation of reclaimed lands any more and that if the government planted wheat in these new areas, it would produce nearly half a million tonnes.
Moreover, the president also called on the Ministry of Electricity, the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Agriculture, and all concerned institutions to quickly finalise their work, so that the newly reclaimed lands can produce crops as soon as possible.
