CAIRO -

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi criticized the existence of major encroachments on the Nile River, and said that it threatens agriculture in the Delta, especially on the Rashid branch (one of the two downstream branches of the Nile) through which 80 million cubic meters of water passed, and due to the encroachments, it reached 30 million. cubic meters only.

The Egyptian president gave the government, represented by the governors and the Ministry of Interior, a deadline of 6 months to remove all forms of encroachment on the bridges of the Nile and agricultural lands that took place during the past 20 years.

Al-Sisi threatened to send the army forces to remove these encroachments if necessary, giving his orders to Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki that the army move to remove these encroachments, and return bridges and canals as they were, even if it cost the use of 10,000 military equipment.

The Egyptian president also blamed the Ministry of Irrigation, in what he considered to be negligence with the trespassers on bridges and canals, stressing that the state will not tolerate those who usurp state land.

Stop supporting violators

The Egyptian president also issued directives to stop all forms of government support - from bread or food supplies - to any "trespasser" on the state's agricultural lands, canals or banks until an end to these infringements.

Al-Sisi said that in exchange for 700 billion pounds allocated by the state to improve people's lives in a "dignified life" project - according to him - it would not be acceptable for citizens to infringe on the right of the state.

The largest station in the world

Al-Sisi’s statements came on the sidelines of his inauguration today, Monday, the Bahr Al-Baqar water treatment plant, which is the largest of its kind in the world, with a production capacity of 5.6 million cubic meters per day of triple treated water.

Al-Sisi said that the cost of the Bahr Al-Baqar water treatment plant amounts to 160 billion pounds (a dollar is equivalent to 15.7 pounds), noting that those funds were obtained through loans from Arab funds with soft interest at comfortable repayment periods.

According to the presidential spokesperson, the treated water will be transferred to North Sinai lands to contribute to the reclamation of 400,000 feddans, within the framework of the national project for the development of Sinai and the enhancement of the system of optimal use of the state's water resources.

Treating 90% of waste water

Egypt has expanded wastewater treatment projects over the past years, against the backdrop of the crisis of the Renaissance Dam that Ethiopia is building, and Egypt says it threatens its historical share in the waters of the Nile River.

According to Mohamed Omar Makram, Deputy Minister of Irrigation for Major Projects, Egypt is one of the largest countries that treat wastewater for use in agriculture, with a percentage of more than 90% of wastewater.

Makram revealed - during his interview with "Al-Hayat Al-Youm" program broadcast on "Al-Hayat" channel - on Sunday about the project to transfer treated sewage water from Alexandria Governorate to irrigate agricultural lands in the New Delta and El-Dabaa projects, which depends on sewage treatment plants and modern methods of irrigation.