MUSCAT: Wadi Dayqah Dam will be opened for 13 days starting from Tuesday to release 20 million m3 of water to recharge groundwater in Daghamr and Hail al Ghaf regions.
“The ministry will open the Wadi Dayqah Dam to drain about 20mn m3 of water. The dam has a storage capacity of 100mn m3 and a height of 75m.’ The ministry explained that the aim of opening the dam was to feed underground reservoirs for the farms of the people of Daghmar and Hail Al Ghaf regions, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR) tweeted on Monday.
The ministry called on citizens to stay away from the wadi and abide by safety instructions.
The dam gates will remain open till December 19.
Located in Qurayat, 75 km from Muscat, Wadi Dayqah is home to one of the largest dams in the Arabian Peninsula.
Dayqah Dam was built in 2012 to collect rainwater from the surrounding mountains and control the water flowing through the villages below. The result is a stunning fresh water lake and a stream flowing 7 km from the main body of the dam.
The annual renewable water resources in Oman are estimated at 1,318 million cubic meters and demand for these resources is increasing, particularly in agriculture. The water deficit in Oman is estimated at 316 million cubic meters each year. Groundwater represents 83 per cent of water sources in Oman, followed by desalination water at 10 per cent. Surface water constitutes only 5 per cent, while treated wastewater represents only 2 per cent. The ministry pointed out that dam projects of various types were implemented in Oman due to their importance in feeding the aquifer and limiting the mixing of sea water with groundwater aquifers. The number of dams in Oman reached 174 by the end of 2021. The number of new permits issued in 2021 reached 1274, including 876 for digging new water wells.
