Baghdad – IA
Today, Tuesday, the Ministry of Water Resources confirmed the increase in water revenues from the Mosul Dam, while noting that the water file receives an absolute priority from Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani.
The Director General of the Ministry’s General Authority for Dams and Reservoirs, Ali Radi, told the (INA): “The issue of the water file and the decrease in the volume of water storage in dams and reservoirs in general is not hidden from everyone, which is affected by the lack of water revenues, especially in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in particular.” In the Mosul Dam, as well as the Haditha Dam, in addition to what Iraq witnessed in terms of four consecutive scarce seasons after the year 2019, which is considered the last wet or water-abundant year.”
He added, “These are certainly factors that have led, to a very large extent, to the current season being critical in terms of the size of the storage and the lack of water revenues, which have been lower over the past years,” indicating that “the level of storage has now reached the size of the storage vacuum, and the volume of available storage exceeds 20%.” A small percentage.
He added, “The Ministry is working through the plans it develops to meet the requirements in general, whether raw water for the liquefaction stations, which is fully secured, as well as the requirements of agriculture, the share of the marshes, and all other requirements, as well as its attempt to preserve the water storage in a way that meets the requirements now and in the future.”
He pointed out that “the Ministry of Water Resources has a set of measures to reduce pressure on surface water by relying on groundwater to secure some of the requirements of agricultural plans as well as drinking water, in addition to the large campaigns launched by the Ministry to remove and reduce abuses in order to secure water according to well-studied plans and rehabilitation.” Stations and the use of dead storage in Lake Tharthar by installing a group of pumps that provide from 80 to 120 cubic meters to specifically enhance the Euphrates.
Regarding Iraq’s water shares from neighboring countries, Radi explained that “the joint committees with the Turkish side focus in the meetings on a very important point, which is sharing water damage between the two countries,” pointing out that “the water file is an absolute priority for the central government and Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, and all concerned leaders of the country.”
He continued, “The recent rains that fell in the country, especially in the northern side of Iraq, somewhat improved the volume of water revenues,” explaining, “Iraq witnessed an improvement in water revenues in the Mosul Dam compared to the quantities released or arrived as a result of the rains.”
Radhi stressed, “The hydroelectric station in the Mosul Dam is suspended due to the drop in the water level in the Mosul Dam Lake, and this is evidence that the amount of water we have is small.”