Syrians brace for more water rationing

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

Syrians brace for more water rationing DAMASCUS (AP) — Residents of Damascus were told Monday to brace for more water rationing as a result of a three-year regional drought, the state-run water institute said. Starting the end of April, water has been cut for 16 hours a day in the capital of five million. On Monday, the government-run Tishrin daily quoted Ibrahim Abdul Nour, production manager at the water institute, as saying the cuts may not be enough to avoid a crisis.

The amount of water available “doesn't meet Damascus City daily requirements,” he said. He didn't say what other measures the government plans to introduce.

Freshwater is drawn from the Al Fijeh and Barada springs and more than 11 water wells from around the capital. The Barada River, which runs through the city, usually runs dry every summer and Abdul Nour said rainfalls over the main springs had decreased 151 millilitres compared to an annual average.

Available water resources stood at less than 26.7 billion cubic metres in 1998 and 20 billion cubic metres in 1999 — 75 per cent and 64 per cent respectively of what the country normally consumes.

The drought has also effected Iran, where the authorities have declared a water crisis in the capital, Tehran.

http://www.jordantimes.com/Tue/news/news4.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), June 26, 2001


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