By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The national Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has come out open to clear the air about the controversial water-dredging machines which brought confusion among government institutions across the country.
In press released extended to No.1 Citizens Newspaper, the Ministry wrote that dredging and clearings of aquatic weeds have been done routinely when the Country was still under Sudan.
According the press statement after independence the river maintained exercise have not been taking place for years, adding that this has led to sediment of accumulated and aquatic vegetation to overgrown.
“the ministry has learnt that there is an on-gong public misconception about the recent imported equipment that were received by unity state government last week for clearing out weeds sediments impeding the movement of water in Naam river, “it stated.
“I would like to inform you that 21 trucks loaded with equipment and tools arrived in Bentiu on 1th June 2022 from Egypt via Sudan. However, there is a negative propaganda being circulated on social media outlets by prominent personalities against this initiative and went furthered by calling for actions to stop the ongoing project,” it added.
However, the Statement continued to writes that “lam here by bringing this to your attention that as it may jeopardize the government efforts for ensuring that the rivers are navigable to transport petroleum product from the refinery to address the local consumption in this current global-fuel crisis,
In line with national response to devastating flooding, dredging will also help mitigate flooding in unity state and other parts of the country whose population has been negatively affected by natural disaster since 2019,”
Meanwhile, according to the Statement, the activities started earlier but were halted by the conflict of 2013 and repeated in 2016, adding that all the equipment and tools mobilized for dredging and clearance of aquatic weeds were vandalized in Bentiu.
However, Press Statement continues that the construction of two landing sites in Kuajok and Wau were completed and the borehole drilling are ongoing while the sue feasibility study is being finalized.
“during the first session of joint high commission between Egypt and South Sudan led by Dr Wani Igga vice president and chair of the economic and economic cluster to Egypt in July 2021,”
“The ministry of water resource renewed and sign the memorandum of understanding {M o U} with the Egyptian on dredging of Bahr el Ghazel river system and construction of four Haffir and urgent resumption of the dredging of 30kms stretch of Bahr el Ghazal from Unity State to lake which is currently blocked by aquatic weeds, the opening up of this stretch of river is to allow smooth navigation of petroleum products and other economic activates a long river from the refinery to Juba,” it writes.