AMMAN –– The
government has confirmed that a
major dam in Jordan Valley has not been operational due to the high water
salinity, and the way forward is to offer the facility for investment in the
recreation and fish farming industries.
اضافة اعلان
Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad
Al-Najjar said authorities have decided to abandon the project due to high rate
of salinity of its water and the presence of a high percentage of treated waste
water, and that that national standards do not allow treating water of such
quality for drinking or agricultural purposes.
"Which is better, to leave it in this
condition, abandoned 24 years after it was built, or invest in the area and
create 130 or140 jobs for Jordanians," the minister said in a phone interview
with
Jordan News.
The minister’s remarks came after veteran
lawmaker
Khalil Atiyyeh filed a query with the Lower House's secretariat asking
about the dam and rumors that it would be sold to the private sector. Atiyyeh
had 13 questions about the issue; an official response to them is due within 14
days, under the House statute.
Atiyyeh said in the letter that the public
deserves to know the facts about Karameh dam, which was built with a 55 million cubic meters capacity, as it is its right to be informed about decisions concerning public
assets.
Secretary General of the
Jordan Valley Authority
Manar Mahasneh told
Jordan News on Monday that Karameh dam has not been used
since 2007, when it was abandoned in the early stage of its operation, after it
became evident that the water feeding it, from Wadi Al-Mallaha, was not
suitable for drinking or irrigation.
Mahasneh said that the facility has already been
offered for investment, mainly for tourism purposes, but insisted that the land
will remain owned by the government "contrary to what has been
rumored".
The
investment tender does include a desalination plant, but for the tourism
investment and fish farming in ponds outside the dam lake, in addition to a
seafood restaurant, wooden cottages, and water games facilities, he said,
adding that “all have to meet public safety requirements".
She noted that Karameh dam is located amid
beautiful sceneries and enjoys warmer climate in winter, which makes such a
project attractive to tourists.
Water expert Amer Al-Shobaki said that the
proposed project has pros and cons, adding that abandoning the dam indicates
that water authorities are incapable of managing some dams, which explains why
they have resorted to private investment to generate revenues.
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