About 15,000 licenses have been granted to drill wells since 2021 in the south – New Algeria

The Minister of Irrigation revealed, Taha Darbaltoday, Tuesday in Algiers, announced that its sector has been granted about 15,000 licenses to drill wells since 2021, to accompany the major agricultural investments made in the states of the Great South, especially Adrar, Timimoun, Menaa and Ouargla, in implementation of the national strategy for developing agriculture and achieving food security.

This came during a hearing by a party Agriculture Committee Marine fishing and environmental protection in the National People’s Assembly, in a session chaired by the head of the committee, Bashir Farhani, in the presence of its members and a number of ministry officials.

The Minister explained that these licenses fall within the framework of simplifying administrative procedures and accelerating the granting of drilling licenses, noting that the National Water Resources Agency is responsible for identifying drilling sites and technical follow-up. For wellsTo ensure rational and sustainable exploitation of groundwater resources.

Darbal confirmed that more than 70 percent of the water resources mobilized annually are directed to the sector The farmerTo meet the irrigation needs across the various states of the country, in addition to ensuring supplementary irrigation of crops whenever resources are available in the dams.

In this context, the Minister indicated that Algeria currently has 81 dams with a total storage capacity estimated at 8.6 billion cubic meters, and it is expected to rise to 9 billion cubic meters with the receipt of the dams under construction, in addition to 604 filling facilities between small dams and water barriers.

Regarding non-traditional resources, the Minister stated that Algeria counts 234 wastewater treatment plants with a total capacity of approximately 1.1 billion cubic metres, which are valued especially in agricultural irrigation, With the implementation of a national program to support filtration plants with triple treatment technology.

He also pointed out that Algeria has 17 major seawater desalination plants and 13 small monobloc plants, within the framework of the National Water Security Strategy, which aims to secure the supply ofGood water To drink and reduce pressure on traditional resources.

Regarding the transfer infrastructure, the minister explained that the country has 18 large water transfer systems, which contributed to achieving water balance between the regions.

For his part, the head of the committee, Bashir Farhani, stressed the strategic importance of the irrigation sector in supporting Agriculture Nationalism and enhancing food security, in light of the challenges associated with climate change and scarcity of water resources.