Former Sudan minister: ‘Blue Nile water level in peril’
Ethiopia's move to fill the GERD reservoir could reduce Nile flows to fertile land such as Luxor, Egypt, by as much as 25 per cent (Photo: Bionet)
Former Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Osman El Tom issued a grave warning yesterday about the Blue Nile’s perilously low levels, attributing the decline to inadequate water inflow from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Speaking to El Taghyeer newspaper yesterday, El Tom predicted this situation will persist until March. He states that the dam’s low water supply, may cost four billion dollars.
The former minister warned of potential adverse effects on winter agriculture and proposed a solution, stating that “officials must augment water release from the El Roseires reservoir to safeguard the Blue and main Nile banks”.
Tripartite negotiations among Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt remain deadlocked after four rounds in the past year, failing to secure a binding agreement on reservoir rules.
White Nile
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Urban Development in White Nile state completed protective measures in El Kawa, grappling with rising Nile levels affecting residential neighbourhoods, according to SUNA.
Engineer Bashir Dawelbeit commended cooperation amongst residents and pledged the ministry’s ongoing efforts to shield vulnerable areas from potential White Nile-related damage, thanking the state government for their “prompt support across localities”.
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