Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held a meeting yesterday to review the ongoing efforts to develop and clear the nation’s natural lakes, with focus on al Manzalah and Nasser.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Minister of Environment YasminEFouad, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation al Sayed al-Quseir, and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam.
President Sisi was updated on the development and clearing of Lake Manzalah, the largest and most important natural lake in Egypt, as part of the relevant state efforts, Radi said.
Manzalah has been the scene of a thorough change and a qualitative shift, after removing encroachments and unlicensed farms, deepening and clearing the lake as well as and getting rid of sediments and weeds, Radi added.
In addition, the canals connecting Manzalah to the Mediterranean were also cleared, in addition to halting the flow of sewage water into the lake through setting up triple treatment plants. Moreover, a ring road has been established around the lake to ease transport of people and goods.
These efforts have led to restoring the natural state and ecological balance of Manzalah, thus increasing its total area to 250,000 feddans.
President Sisi gave directed the government to complete the development cycle of Manzalah via an integrated strategy, which is likely to add to what has already been achieved, the spokesman said.
This can be realised through he promotion of fishing capabilities and mechanisms to offer additional job opportunities to fishermen in the villages overlooking the lake, Radi noted. This will of course have economic, commercial and food returns.
In the meantime, President Sisi followed upon the ongoing efforts to develop Lake Nasser, and gave directed the government to prepare an integrated study on how to make utmost benefit from its fish wealth through developing the lake, raising its efficiency and maximising its fishing capabilities.
The spokesman added that the meeting also reviewed the executive position of the projects being carried out by the Egyptian Rural Development Company across the nation.
President Sisi stressed the importance of scrutinising the scientific studies pertaining to all elements of success of the Egyptian rural development projects.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the National Service Projects Organisation, Maj Gen Walid Abul Majd, Chairman of the National Company for Fish Wealth, Maj Gen Vet Islam Attia Abdel Hamid, Chairman of the Egyptian Rural Development Company Maj Gen Engineer Amr Abdel Wahab, and Executive Director of the Authority on the Protection and Development of Lakes and Fish Wealth Maj Gen al-Hussein Farahat, Spokesman Radi said.
