Tighter controls on construction in desert areas have been announced by the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Nasr Eddin Allam. Areas deemed safe for urban development have also been identified, he added, to avoid the collapse of buildings in the future. Allam further added that all the relevant regulations will be strictly observed and the penalties for those who break the rules will be much stricter. In a press statement yesterday, the minister said that the ministry has started using an early warning system in governorates of Lower Egypt, Sinai and the Red Sea governorates which will give an alert 24-72 hours before rainfall begins. The new system also includes satellite photography, mathematical models and digital terrestrial stations. Allam also said that the construction works aimed at protecting Aswan's al-Naqra valley from torrential rainfall are 95 percent complete. They include two dams and two artificial lakes to collect rainwater as well as a 71 kilometer drainage channel. The total cost of construction is estimated at LE71 million. Allam added that the total cost of construction aimed at protecting the Lower Egyptian governorate of Aswan from torrential rains has amounted to LE227 million. He also pointed out that his ministry has finished studies for a project to establish another three drainages projects in villages around Aswan, the total cost of which is estimated at LE13 million. The project should serve 30,000 people. The ministry, he went on, is also carrying out studies in coordination with specialized institutes to achieve permanent protection from flooding in other areas in Aswan. The ministry is also constantly working on early warning systems in cooperation with state institutions and local authorities. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
