Jordan News

An official document revealed that a decision was issued to open the gates of the Wala Dam in violation of the recommendations of those concerned on February 16, 2021, which was witnessing a rainy depression.

Quoting local media, the document indicated the refusal of the Minister of Water and Irrigation at the time, to start liquefying the dam at ten o’clock in the evening and gradually, according to the recommendations of officials, and requested to start liquefying the dam’s water 3 hours before that and start opening the gates at seven o’clock in the evening gradually.

For their part, experts estimated the amount of water wasted from the dam during this period at about (6-8) million cubic meters, attributing the drought of the dam and its transformation into a pasture for sheep for this measure.

The experts said that the process of emptying the dam on that day without relying on technical foundations, taking into account the recommendations of the Jordan Valley Authority and taking the decision individually by the minister, led to the drying up of the dam, which will lead to the destruction of a large and unique ecosystem, which is considered one of the most important Resources for the farmers and people of Al-Waala, in addition to its great tourist value.

They added that the destruction of the natural ecosystem of the Wala region means that the ecological incubators will become unable to contain the living creatures that were previously inhabited; As a result, all creatures that originally lived in the natural habitat are displaced or die, reducing the biodiversity of the area and depleting the nutrients of the ecosystem and the human activities that depend on it; Like farming and fishing.

It is noteworthy that the Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Manar Mahasneh, indicated that the depletion of water from the Wala dam about a week ago is only a natural and not worrisome result that occurred due to the decline in rainfall.

She added, in televised statements, this evening, Saturday, that the reason for the water running out of the Wala Dam is the decrease in the amount of rain entering the dam during the last season, as the level of storage in the dams decreased by approximately 80 million cubic meters compared to the year 2020.

And “the last rainy season recorded 36 rainy days compared to the year 2020, which recorded 52 rainy days, and the amount of rain fell 60% of the general annual average; This had a significant impact on the storage of dams in Jordan,” according to Mahasneh.

She explained that the Wala dam was elevated and its storage capacity was raised from 9 million cubic meters to 25 million cubic metres. This project began in 2017, and it is likely that it will be received and operated before the end of this year.

With regard to the reasons for the lack of water storage in the Wala Dam, Mahasneh pointed to the poor rainfall and the dam’s uses for ground feeding and irrigation of crops for the lands adjacent to the dam’s lake, as more than 13 farmers draw from the dam’s water directly.

And she added, the rise in temperatures increased the amount of evaporation, as the amount of water evaporation in the dam was approximately from 9 thousand cubic meters per day to 13 thousand cubic meters, and these reasons led to a decrease in the water stock in the dam.

Mahasneh pointed out that “the water ran out from the Wala Dam also happened in 2008,” stressing that the Jordan Valley Authority is concerned with the law and is obligated, and its tasks are to secure agricultural units in the Jordan Valley areas only with irrigation water.

She pointed out that “the cultivated lands outside the areas adjacent to the dams are drawing water unfairly, and this is illegal.”

For his part, the governor of Madaba, Ali Al-Mady, said in televised statements that the governorate is seeking, in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, to find alternative and temporary water sources for farmers after the waters of the Wala Dam recede.