Minister of Irrigation: Cleansing and maintaining the agricultural drainage network with lengths of up to 22 thousand kilometers annually
Dr. Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, confirmed that the agricultural drainage network, which extends over lengths of up to 22 thousand kilometers, is annually cleansed and maintained, most of which is cleared twice a year, and the open drains are expanded and deepened with excavation amounts reaching 10 million cubic meters annually.< /p>
The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation had received a report from Engineer Mohamed Abdel Samie, Chairman of the Egyptian General Authority for Drainage Projects, to review the executive position for the work of clearing public drains, projects for establishing covered drainage networks and developing covered drainage pipe factories.
Dr. Sweilem indicated that during the current fiscal year 2023/2024 and up to now, agricultural drains with a total length of up to 24.4 thousand kilometers have been cleansed, with some drains being cleared twice during the year… stressing the Ministry’s keenness to cleanse all drains before the period of maximum water needs. To ensure its ability to receive and pass agricultural drainage water without any obstacles that may result in water accumulation in agricultural drains.
In the field of implementing covered drainage projects, the Minister explained that during the year 2023, the replacement and renewal of covered drainage networks in Zamam 89 was completed. One thousand acres, and during the year 2024 it is targeted to replace and renew covered drainage networks in 60 thousand acres, as covered drainage represents a major importance in maintaining the ground water level away from plant roots to ensure the provision of appropriate aeration of agricultural soil, improve the natural and chemical properties of the soil, reduce soil salinity, and preserve on its fertility in order to achieve the highest crop productivity, and thus increase farmer income.
The report reviewed the position of the second and third phases of the third national drainage program (2013 – 2026), where in the second phase, the work of replacing and renewing the covered drainage networks in 146,000 feddans was completed, and implementation and tendering is underway in another 31,000 feddans, and the deepening of public drains in 30,000 feddans has been completed, and the rest of the public drainage, expansion and deepening works are being proposed. Drains.
In the third phase, the replacement and renewal of covered drainage networks in 163,000 feddans was completed, and implementation and tendering is underway in another 94,000 feddans, in addition to the completion of deepening public drains and replacing and renewing industrial works in 47 zimmam. One thousand acres, noting that a database has been created for covered drainage areas with a total of 1,800 areas controlling 6.2 million acres, as well as field research data since 2015 with a total of 20,000 research sites.
Suwailem also reviewed proposals for implementing the “Fourth National Project.” to exchange" Which aims to replace, renew, and establish covered drainage networks for an area of 1.4 million acres across the republic in the Lower and Lower Egypt, where coordination is being made with the Ministry of International Cooperation and donor countries to arrange the financial funds required for the project.
The Minister of Irrigation indicated that the Ministry is keen To develop plastic pipe production factories affiliated with the Drainage Authority to contribute to bridging the production gaps in the field of pipes produced by the private sector, ensuring the continued implementation of covered drainage operations at the rates required within the third and fourth national drainage project, with a trend towards local manufacturing and relying on the local product as large a percentage as possible. During a study of the partnership between the Ministry and investors specialized in irrigation and drainage works.
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