The Moroccan government, according to its spokesperson, Mustafa Paytas, revealed that this project is “strategic and very large-scale, and aims to transfer water from the Sebou basin to the Bouregreg basin, through which demand will be met. at the level of Rabat and Casablanca, and it will reach Marrakech in another part.”
Project details
According to official data, the cost of the project is 6 billion dirhams (about 593 million dollars). In technical detail, the waterway includes two huge pumps and 66 kilometers of steel pipes, with a diameter of 3,200 millimeters and a flow rate of 15 liters per second. The excavation work has reached 100%, the pipes have been laid at 21% and the Moroccan government expects the work to be completed next October. The mega project starts in Wadi Sebou, northeast of Sidi Yahia El Gharb, 80 kilometers north of Rabat. Teams of workers and engineers from 4 Moroccan companies take turns day and night to complete the work in September.
Exploitation of the surplus
Commenting on the project, the former Minister Delegate for Water, Sharafat Afilal, explained that “it is not a whim, because it crowns long efforts and meticulous technical studies that have lasted for years”.
She added, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that “the aim of the project is to exploit the surplus of certain basins, such as the Sebou and the Lokos, which are discharged into the sea, by transferring it to other regions”. ”
She added, “Casablanca, which has the highest population density in Morocco, suffers from a worrying water situation, due to the degradation of the two dams of the Massira and Mohammed bin Abdullah dams, which hastened the implementation of the water highway project, which will alleviate the pressure on the resources of the Oum Errabia and Abu Regreg basins.
In a related context, the former minister pointed out that “Morocco does not put all its eggs in one basket.” In addition to the waterway, a large seawater desalination plan has been launched, the first features of which appeared in 2018, and it will be implemented in partnership between the public and private sectors.
She pointed out that “the plan should see the light of day in 2025, if there is no delay”.
She said: “These solutions alone remain limited and cannot solve the water problem in Morocco, it is therefore necessary to seek other resources” and “greater efforts must be made to rationalize consumption, whether at the level of the interests of the State or at the level of the level of individual consumption of the citizen.
water poverty
Since last year, Morocco has experienced the worst drought in more than 3 decades. The Kingdom recorded a rainfall deficit of over 60%. King Mohammed VI ordered the government to take urgent measures to deal with this situation. Last February, the Moroccan government launched an exceptional program aimed at mitigating the effects of delayed rains, limiting its impact on agricultural activity and helping the farmers and breeders concerned.
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