This unprecedented phenomenon was observed by MAP teams in several localities hit by the earthquake, particularly in the mountainous douars of the province of Ouarzazate.
At the bend in two villages, it is not unusual to see curious onlookers gathered in their dozens in front of one of these waterfalls which appeared, as if by magic, immediately after the earthquake.
Perceived as a manifestation of divine blessing and the Creator’s mercy, this water is surrounded by all respect.
Visitors, who sometimes come from far away to admire this spectacle, drink this water while making wishes, while others sprinkle it on their bodies or fill bottles for later use.
These jets of water intrigue the villagers who do not hide their joy. And each one goes with his comment on the real or supposed virtues of this “holy water”, which they consider almost as a divine consolation that has come to soothe their suffering in the face of the disaster.
Overlooking an intermittent wadi, the village of Tizgha, located 80 kilometers from Ouarzazate, is one of those areas that the earthquake did not spare, but especially one that the blessing of water did not forget… After all, “every cloud has a silver lining.”
According to its inhabitants, this landlocked hamlet has been suffering from a chronic water deficit for several years. The natural sources of drinking water have almost dried up, the wells have been exhausted and the courses of the wadis have dried up.
Mohamed, a resident of the village, explains in a statement to MAP that, in this locality with community life, “the inhabitants had to arrange among themselves access to water every twenty days for each of the families.”
Today, he added, not without wonder, “the flow of the main sources that feed the river has increased and new sources have appeared.” As a result, “the waiting time for access to water has been reduced to three days,” he said, expressing the hope that this windfall will continue for a long time to come.
This phenomenon, still little known, must have a scientific explanation. Contacted by MAP, the expert in climate and sustainable development, Mohamed Benabbou, maintained that earthquakes and volcanoes cause significant changes to the earth’s surface.
These natural disasters can also lead to a significant increase in water flow, such as that observed in Ouarzazate and Taroudant, or cause its reduction, or even the drying up of existing sources and the exhaustion of water stocks in certain waterfalls and springs, he said.
“Underground, geological layers contain water resources, such as limestone layers that contain a solid and dense reservoir of water that can form underground water caverns. The explosion of these caverns, when subjected to high pressure, is the origin of the appearance of new water sources,” he explained.
From a scientific point of view, this is therefore a natural phenomenon that can only be temporary before the water returns to its normal state, said Mr. Benabbou, who mentioned other “post-earthquake risks linked to the leakage of groundwater through the faults caused by the earthquake.”
While the appearance of new water sources will immediately delight the populations of the areas affected by the earthquake, Morocco remains fully aware of the problems linked to water stress.
To address the global challenge of water scarcity, the Kingdom has undertaken a series of water conservation measures and is focusing its efforts on infrastructure, through the construction of dams, the connection of hydraulic basins and the desalination of seawater.
2024-08-17 18:21:27