TDT | Manama
Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Report by Zahra Ayaz
Significant negligence by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture in the evaluation of Bahrain’s underground wells over the past 40 years has been revealed.
The Department of Finance and Administration publicized the matter, and our sister publication AlAyam reported on the story.
Meanwhile, the ministry, the Capital Secretariat, and the three cities have explained that they began soliciting research projects in November last year.
However, the bids received exceeded the allocated budget and the bidder did not meet the bidding conditions.
The Ministry will therefore work with the Department of Surveying and Land Registry to reissue the tender, drawing on its expertise in this area.
The monitoring report also highlights that the ministry has stopped monitoring the quality and characteristics of groundwater extracted from production wells since December 2020.
This lack of oversight has potential implications for public health and safety.
In response, the Ministry of Local Government and Agriculture said it is currently preparing a draft ministerial decision that will require the industry and commercial sectors to submit a report from an accredited laboratory on the quality of groundwater used in their facilities. .
Additionally, the ministry aims to provide equipment that will enable field inspectors to analyze the percentage of dissolved solids (TDS) in water and its pH during their visits.
Another key finding of the report is that the ministry has not taken action against owners of groundwater wells who have not installed meters to measure water intake, which is in accordance with Article 20 of the Groundwater Act. This is a violation of
The Ministry confirmed its determination to address this issue and hold well owners accountable for installing meters and ensuring regulatory compliance.
The report further notes that the ministry has stopped measuring 2,480 mechanical groundwater well meters since March 2022, making it impossible to track the amount of water being drawn from these wells. It has been revealed that there is.
To rectify this situation, the ministry pledged to resume regular meter readings and stressed the importance of encouraging well owners to install smart meters to streamline data collection.
The report also highlights that the ministry had not inspected licensed groundwater well sites since January 2020.
With a total of 2,660 unmonitored wells, the ministry’s inability to identify potential violations poses a serious threat to Bahrain’s groundwater resources.
In response to these concerns, the Ministry of Local Government and Agriculture initiated a restructuring process for all departments.
With the issuance of Decree No. 15 of 2023, the Ministry aims to strengthen its human resources and strengthen its capacity to effectively carry out inspection operations.