Mohammed Al-Hussein, Director of Water Resources in Homs Governorate, confirmed the continued efforts of the directorate to crack down on illegal well drilling and exploitation, and to apply legal measures against violators, with the aim of limiting the depletion of groundwater and preserving water reserves.
Al-Hussein stated in an interview with SANA correspondent on Tuesday that the directorate has issued records against more than 100 illegal wells since the liberation, including 60 illegal wells since the beginning of the current year. He noted that the measures include confiscating illegal excavators and referring the issued records to the competent judiciary.
Al-Hussein pointed out that the number of confiscated excavators in the directorate's yard exceeds 550 due to violations. He confirmed that supervision and follow-up operations continue through field tours conducted by the directorate, alongside receiving reports from citizens and relevant authorities, in coordination and joint cooperation with administrative units and police forces in the governorate to suppress any violations as soon as they occur.
Al-Hussein explained that licensed wells are subject to specific pumping quantity conditions and are monitored using meters, while legal measures are taken against violators according to the nature of the violation.
Al-Hussein called for rationalizing water consumption, especially in the agricultural sector, by expanding the use of modern irrigation techniques and improving field irrigation efficiency. He urged enhancing community cooperation and reporting drilling violations to contribute to protecting water resources and ensuring their sustainability.
Earlier, on January 19 of this year, Engineer Abdullah Al-Qate, Director of Integrated Water Resources Management at the General Authority for Water Resources, told a SANA correspondent that rainfall levels over the past ten years have recorded their lowest rates, negatively impacting the water situation and leading to significant depletion of groundwater, particularly due to random drilling of unlicensed wells in several governorates.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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