Gov't Denies Wasting Billions of Pounds on Flood Barriers along Arish Valley to No Avail

The Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation denied wasting billions of pounds on constructing barriers to protect against the dangers of torrential rains along Wadi El-Arish without achieving any benefit from rainwater.

The ministry said that any special financial allocations in this regard are directed with the aim of optimizing the use of torrential waters along Wadi El-Arish, which is one of the largest valleys in North Sinai, in terms of area and the quantities of water it absorbs, according to a statement issued by the Cabinet.

The ministry indicated that the torrents had previously completely flooded the city of Arish in 2010, and the encroachments on the natural course of the valley have been removed, the course has been maintained, and bridges have been implemented to protect the city and its vital facilities and infrastructure. 

An artificial lake and 5 basins for rainwater with a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters have also been established to harvest this water. An artificial lake and a barrier behind it will start on Wadi Al-Arzaq with a total capacity of 7 million cubic meters for rain harvesting.