IBRA: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has embarked upon the construction of a surface storage dam in the village of Al Rashbi in the Wilayat of Dima W’attayeen and a groundwater recharge dam in the village of Qiraisha’a in the Wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid in Al Sharqiyah North Governorate at a cost exceeding RO 116,000.
Dr Abdulaziz bin Ali al Mashaikhi, Director-General of Agricultural and Water Resources in Al Sharqiyah North Governorate, said: “The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources is implementing recharge, protection and surface storage dams across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. These projects stem from the importance of dams in effectively contributing to the exploitation of water resources, regulating natural waterways and reducing the water deficit in the Sultanate of Oman.
This is in addition to the dams’ importance in recharging the groundwater reservoir and providing additional groundwater for the sustainability of various development projects and providing protection against flood risks.”
He added that the implementation of these two dams in the wilayats of Wadi Bani Khalid and Dima W’attayeen falls within the ministry’s strategy to expand the construction of recharge dams and surface storage dams. The two projects aim to feed the groundwater reservoir to develop water resources in the villages of Al Rashbi and Qiraisha’a and the surrounding villages.
They will also be used to improve the water situation, increase the water level of wells and aflaj in these areas, and utilise rainwater for agricultural expansion and increasing green spaces. He noted that the project to construct a groundwater recharge dam in the village of Qiraisha’a in the Wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid, with a capacity of 45,000 square metres, and will cost RO 46,504. Both projects are expected to be completed in April 2026.
Al Sharqiyah North Governorate has 13 dams, including three groundwater recharge dams and 10 collection dams. The most prominent of these are the Amda Dam and Al Ghubrah Dam, which are recharge dams in the Wilayat of Dima W’attayeen. — ONA
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