Water draft law: Firm penalties against misuse of water resources

CAIRO – 15 September 2018: Deputy of the Committee on Agriculture and Irrigation in the House of Representatives, Hisham Al-Hosary, announced that the draft law on water resources and irrigation is one of the most crucial bills to be discussed and approved during the fourth session set to begin on Oct. 2 or 3, in accordance with a presidential decree, especially that the water bill aims at obstructing all possibilities for inter-ministerial organizational conflicts while intensifying penalties against water misuse.

Al-Hosary pointed out that the draft law aims at maximizing efficient utilization of available water resources by considering all necessary means to achieve water security, banning encroachments on the Nile River as well as removing all existing encroachments, preserving rain and groundwater. Additionally, the draft law includes also firm regulations for coastal protection.

All members of the committee stressed the need to bring the law to light at the beginning of the fourth session in order to make good use of available water resources through efficient mechanisms based on rationalization of consumption.

The deputy explained that the most significant feature of the draft is the intensification of penalties for encroachment on the Nile River or on water resources through its misuse in wasteful-water cultivation. He added that penalties will reach imprisonment. Finally, the draft law will enhance the possibility of developing an irrigation system all over Egypt.