Baghdad – IA
The Ministry of Water Resources confirmed on Friday that the recent rains had boosted the country’s water reserves by 10%.
The Ministry’s media office said in a statement received by the (INA): “The rains and torrents that the country witnessed during the past three days, which varied from moderate to very heavy, and Dohuk Governorate was the province with the most heavy rainfall, as the total amount that fell in some of its areas reached up to 300 mm, which caused major floods in the valleys and cities of the governorate, which strengthened the country’s strategic reserves, so that the percentage of the accumulated increase in storage became 10%, as the water storage increased in the dams (Mosul, Dokan, Darbandikhan, and Hamrin).”
The statement added, “The amounts of water equivalent to snow in the upper Tigris and Euphrates basins are high, and will enhance water storage during the next two months. Rainfall is still expected to continue for the next seven days, especially for the central and northern regions of the country.”
The statement pointed out that “the rain also contributed to ensuring full irrigation for agricultural crops in all governorates, and for the purpose of strengthening the Euphrates River with water releases during the summer period, the Ministry began diverting quantities of water towards the Tharthar Depression.”
He pointed out that “the rains and torrential rains that the southern governorates witnessed contributed greatly to reviving the marshes, which had a positive impact on the lives of those living in them,” explaining that “the accumulated increase in the areas of inundation for this year reached more than 30%, as some areas witnessed a rate of inundation.” It reached 50%.
The statement concluded, “Given that the weather forecasts stress the occurrence of upcoming rain waves that may cause large floods in the regions, which requires citizens to be careful and stay away from those flood paths as a result of rising river levels.”