Muscat: More than 10 surface water storage dams are located in the Dhofar Governorate and they aim to ensure sustainable water resources in the governorate.
“The number of surface water storage dams in the Governorate of Dhofar has reached 13, which is supervised by the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources, with the aim of exploiting the water retained therein to irrigate crops, provide water to livestock and some villages and communities located near these dams,” Oman News Agency (ONA) reported. These dams witness a rise in the water level during the rainy season. The rains for about three months, from June to September, feed these dams.
“The Ministry is working to establish surface storage dams to benefit from rainwater, and to provide and develop water resources for residents of villages and population centres, especially in areas that suffer from scarce water availability,” Engineer Rashid Al Ghafri, Director General of the General Directorate of Agricultural, Fisheries wealth and Water Resources in Dhofar Governorate said in a statement to ONA.
Among the most prominent surface storage dams in the Governorate of Dhofar, Al Ghafri says “there are two dams in the Wilayat of Rakhyut, Baal Heiqan with a capacity of 200,000 cubic metres and the Shakho dam with a capacity of 6,000 cubic metres, in addition to two dams in the Wilayat of Mirbat, Wadi Ka’a Dam with a capacity of 2,016 cubic metres, Qadqud Dam with a capacity of 2,142 cubic metres, in addition to the Hezam Dam in the Wilayat of Taqah with a capacity of 9,000 cubic metres.”
He also stressed the ministry’s keenness to complete and manage some water projects, both surface and underground, and evaluate them, with the aim of preserving and sustaining them.
The ministry also works on the maintenance of water springs, construction of groundwater recharge dams and surface storage dams, in addition to dams against flood risks.
