Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilem, has stressed that no violations or encroachments on the River Nile or its floodplains will be tolerated, given the river’s vital importance as Egypt’s lifeblood and a key driver of development.
The minister received on Saturday a report on the progress of the National Project for Regulating the River Nile, including efforts to remove encroachments along the Shubra-Helwan sector, particularly in Manial Shiha and Abu Al-Numrus.
In coordination with the Permanent Committee for Regulating the Nile River’s Flow, the Armed Forces Land Projects Authority, security agencies and Giza Governorate, 37 encroachments obstructing the planned route of the “People of Egypt Walkway” in Manial Shiha were removed.
The walkway, currently under development, will extend for eight kilometres.
The report also reviewed efforts to remove illegal structures along the Rosetta Branch of the Nile, with 518 cases cleared to date.
Minister Sweilem ordered continued oversight of Nile promenade development projects to ensure that implementing bodies adhere to designs approved by the Ministry and prevent any adverse impact on the Nile’s water sector.
He emphasised the need to preserve the river’s carrying capacity to address water and climate‑related challenges, remove all encroachments, and strengthen state control over its course.
