Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly visited Siwa Oasis on Monday, for the first time, to follow up on work progress in service and development projects there. He was accompanied by ministers of agriculture and land reclamation, local development, water resources and irrigation, and Matrouh Governor. Madbouly began his visit to the Siwa Oasis, by inspecting the open canal and Antafeer lifting station, and the ejection line, as part of the components of the second phase of the project to develop irrigation and drainage management systems in the oasis. The Prime Minister praised the project achievements, which is the result of the integrated efforts of many parties, noted that it has found radical solutions to a major problem that the oasis has suffered from for decades, thus prompting efforts to preserve the character of the oasis, continue its development plans and enhance its added economic and investment value. He directed that the depression that will receive agricultural drainage water outside the oasis should keep pace with future expansions with the extension of development work in the oasis, as well as maximise the use of this water in various uses. During the visit, the Prime Minister met Sheikh Bilal Ahmed, one of the senior sheikhs of Siwa Oasis, who expressed their appreciation for the interest of the state to solve problems and meet demands that no one had heeded for decades. Director of Water Department at Armed Forces Engineering Authority Tamer Zaher explained that the project consists of the Antafeer pumping station, which drains with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres / day, to redirect the quantities of excess agricultural drainage water to the Siwa drains group that used to flow into the Siwa pond. Besides, transfer it to the path of the open channel that extends with a length of 34 km, through two ejection lines, with a diameter of 500 mm and a length of 6 km, so that it flows outside the range of the oasis, into the intake basin of the Antafeer lifting station in the Ain Al-Ganabi depression. Additionally, the station includes seven water-lifting groups, three preparation pumps, a pump hold, and an intake basin with a capacity of 3000 cubic metres, and an electric transformer with a capacity of 500 kilos volt, fire protection systems, and an electric winch with a capacity of 3 tonnes.
