The Ministry of Irrigation issued a statement on Friday stating that the recent drop in the river level of the Nile is expected, owing to the seasonal irrigation schedule.
The statement read: “The principles of rational management of water resources render it necessary to refrain from releasing any amounts of water exceeding the actual requirement; this prevents valuable water from flowing to the Mediterranean Sea and being wasted”.
The ministry issued the statement after photos of extremely low water levels in the Nile, most notably in Cairo, went viral on social networks, sparking concerns over possible repercussions from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
“It is currently the winter crops harvest season, so the water released from Lake Nasser is enough for the requirements of this period,” the ministry said.
Ministry spokesperson Khaled Wasif said on Thursday that the drop in the water level has nothing to do with the Ethiopian dam, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.
The dam, in construction since April 2011, has caused general panic over its potential effects on Egypt’s share of the Nile waters.
