The Water Resources Directorate in Damascus and its countryside has completed the clearing of approximately 160 kilometers of the Barada and A'waj rivers and their main branches during the current year. This effort aims to improve water flow, mitigate flood risks during the winter season, and ensure irrigation water reaches agricultural lands, thereby supporting agricultural production.
Engineer Ismail Nouh, head of the machinery department at the Directorate, told SANA on Sunday that the total length of the two rivers and their main branches is approximately 450 kilometers. He noted that clearing works covered 160 kilometers this year, compared to approximately 170 kilometers last year.
Removing Sediments and Improving Flow
Nouh explained that the works involve removing accumulated soil, sediments, and debris that obstruct water movement. This helps restore the effective cross-section of the riverbeds and improve flow, especially during rainfall and increased water volume, thereby limiting flood risks.
Nouh pointed out that clearing works improve the delivery of irrigation water to agricultural lands along the riverbanks and their branches, helping farmers utilize it for their crops. He called for cooperation with the Directorate and reporting any encroachments on riverbeds to take necessary legal action against violators and maintain water flow.
Supporting Farmers and Preserving Resources
For his part, Talal Hindeh, head of the Farmers' Association in Al-Tayyiba village, emphasized the importance of rivers as a lifeline for the region and a primary source for irrigating agricultural lands and meeting farmers' water needs. He praised the cooperation between the Water Resources Directorate and farmers in carrying out clearing works, citing their role in enhancing water utilization in agriculture.
Hindeh called on residents living along the riverbanks not to dump waste or discharge sewage into the waterways, to preserve water cleanliness, protect the water resource, and ensure its sustainability.
Increasing Agricultural Production
For his part, farmer Muhammad Al-Hallaq from Al-Tayyiba village, in the Kiswa district, explained that river water flow enables the irrigation of lands and the cultivation of wheat, potatoes, and garlic. This contributes to increasing agricultural production and positively affects product prices in the Hal market, benefiting both farmers and consumers.
Al-Hallaq noted the decline in water levels in recent years and expressed hope that this year's clearing works will improve water flow and its reach to agricultural lands, helping farmers utilize their lands and increase production.
The clearing works are part of the General Authority for Water Resources' efforts to maintain the readiness of waterways and improve their efficiency, mitigate risks caused by sediment accumulation, protect structures and areas surrounding the rivers, and enhance the use of water resources for irrigating agricultural lands.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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