The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Nasr Eddin Allam, said that this year the country managed to save 6 billion square meters of water, thanks to the new policy for cultivating rice, which saw the area of farmed land drop from 2.2 million to 1.2 million feddans. Allam's declaration came during a conference at the Damietta Governorate Conference Hall last Wednesday night, which was attended by Governor Mohamed Fathy al-Baradei, along with a number of political and social figures from the province. Allam said that his ministry opened an office responsible for follow-up work and unannounced inspection visits to irrigation projects. He noted that studies of the irrigation systems at a number of provinces, including Kafr al-Sheikh, Daqahlia, and Shariqya, are currently being conducted. The minister revealed that he has approved of a LE20 million project for renovating the al-Lessan area at the city of Ras el-Barr, Damietta. He added that they are also considering another LE23 million project to widen the western road to the city, in addition to restoring the Damietta Canal lock, with a cost of LE3 million. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif has commissioned the Ministries of Irrigation and Agriculture to undertake a national plan in July to develop irrigation systems and save up to 20 percent of irrigation water. The minister, along with Governor al-Baradei, inaugurated the water pumping station in Farascour, which cost LE45 million and is designed to support al-Salam Canal with 500,000 square meters of water for irrigation purposes. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
