Jordan: Ministerial team checks on water situation in the north

A ministerial team, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Nayef Qadi, on Monday checked on the water situation in the northern governorates of Ajloun, Jerash andIrbid.
Citizens, particularly Ajloun and Jerash residents, have complained of repeated water disruptions over the lastmonth, many having to buy water by the gallon to meet their daily requirements.
During the tour yesterday, Qadi stressed the government’s commitment to come up with practical solutions toaddress the water shortage and improve the water distribution system.
In Jerash, the ministerial team was briefed by Jerash Governor Rabha Dabbas, who underlined the need to revisit thewater distribution programme to ensure a fair distribution of water.
In Ajloun, Qadi emphasised the importance of implementing plans to increase water allocations for the governorateand secure tankers to transport water to hilly areas.
He stressed the need for strict measures to safeguard water networks and underlined the importance of coordinationbetween the electricity company and water departments to ensure that water distribution is not impacted byscheduled power cuts.
While in Irbid, Qadi said reports of a water shortage in Irbid were overstated, stressing that the main obstacle tosupplying water to residents is distribution.
According to Qadi, the purpose of the visit was to get a first-hand look of the situation and hear residents’ needs,particularly during the holy month of Ramadan and in light of the recent heatwave.Qadi was accompanied during the visit by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khalid Irani and Water andIrrigation Minister Mohammad Najjar.
Jordan is one of the poorest world countries in terms of water resources. More than 85 per cent of the country’spopulation receives an average of 80 litres of water or less per day, Najjar pointed out.Due to the heatwave, demand for water increased two-fold while distribution has remained unchanged, exacerbatingthe problem in some areas, the minister noted.