Arab News

Egypt prepares for Nile floods, warns citizens FASTFACT

- Mohammed Abu Zaid Cairo

Egypt has warned people about Nile flooding, telling local authoritie­s to take precaution­ary measures to minimize damage and loss of life. The Ministry of Irrigation informed various governorat­es that some of their land risked being submerged as a result of flooding and high-water levels.

Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty said on Tuesday that the warnings were being issued so that people could take preventive steps and become aware of the expected dangers, despite the fact they were living or farming illegally in the at-risk areas.

He directed the heads of central department­s to coordinate with governors and local authoritie­s and for them to inform ministry agencies about infringeme­nts and violations on all waterways, especially on the Nile River course, with removal decisions to be sent to military prosecutio­n offices for legal action. The minister said that there should be a daily report on the land and

The ministry has issued instructio­ns to evacuate homes, buildings, livestock pens and fish cages.

buildings affected by high water levels.

The El-Beheira governorat­e sent informatio­n to local units on the Nile in the Rosetta Branch, stressing that measures should be taken in response to rising river levels in the coming days.

The leaflet included instructio­ns to evacuate homes, buildings, livestock pens and fish cages. It also called on all residents of Kom Hamada, Itay El-Barud, Shubrakhit, Rahmaniyah, Mahmoudeya and Rasheed, to evacuate their homes and all buildings, livestock pens and fish cages.

“The lands threatened by drowning from the river overflowin­g are initially the property of the Ministry of Irrigation and have been subjected to building and agricultur­al encroachme­nts by some people, and despite these violations, the Nile Protection sends warnings to the agricultur­al administra­tions and locals to alert farmers of an expected increase in the water level, to avoid losses,” Amer Shukry, a ministry official in El-Beheira, said. Agricultur­al land in the Kom Hamada district was submerged at the start of September as a result of high-water levels.

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