Nearly 70 new water sources have appeared following the earthquake that shook Morocco on September 8, said Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka on Tuesday during a presentation to the Environment and Infrastructure Commission at the Upper House.
According to the Minister, these water sources are scattered over the provinces of Al Haouz (32), Taroudant (19), Ouarzazate (10) and Chichaoua (8).
Baraka pointed out that after the earthquake, changes were observed in the flow of water sources, noting that some saw their flow increase and others decrease, in addition to the appearance of new springs.
The Ministry had allocated a budget of 469 million MAD to repair the damage to hydraulic infrastructure caused by the earthquake: 117 million MAD for the emergency program to repair damage and rehabilitate access roads leading to dams and related administrative buildings; 47 million MAD for repairing damage to 43 hydrological stations in Al Haouz, Chichaoua, Marrakech and Taroudant; 5.15 million MAD for repairing damage to drinking water distribution networks in three centers (Tlat N’Yacoub, Moulay Ibrahim and Amezmiz) for 15 million MAD, and building and equipping new boreholes and wells in all affected provinces to supply drinking water (50 million MAD).
He also announced the allocation of 350 million MAD of the total amount earmarked for reinforcement and treatment work on the right bank of the Yacoub Al-Mansour Dam (300 million MAD for the dam itself, 42 million MAD for consolidation work, and 10 million MAD for reinforcement of the dam examination system).