Enab Baladi – Besan Khalaf
“We have to rely on God,” says farmer Issam Othman from the town of Jubata al-Khashab in Quneitra, expressing his loss of half of his agricultural yield from fruit trees and vegetables due to the lack of irrigation water that comes to them from the dams associated with the al-Mantarah dam, part of which Israel has taken control of.
He adds, “We, the people of Quneitra, have no job other than farming, and our livelihood throughout the year depends on agriculture.”
Several farmers in the villages and towns of Quneitra are complaining about the water shortage crisis in the province.
Othman cannot afford to buy water from tankers weekly due to high prices.
A water tanker in Quneitra costs 80,000 Syrian pounds for five barrels, used for irrigation and livestock.
Meanwhile, Fawaz al-Saleh from the town of Kodna has to buy water from tankers at a cost of 400,000 Syrian pounds weekly to avoid losing his annual crop of fruit trees and seasonal fruits.
The loss of the season has created an economic crisis for farmers’ families there, as most residents rely on vegetable farming and livestock breeding.
Occupation forces control the dams
Most farmers in Quneitra, whom Enab Baladi interviewed, attributed the water shortage crisis to the Israeli occupation forces’ control over the main al-Mantarah dam, which is the second largest dam in Syria and supplies the dams of southern Syrian provinces.
According to the residents of Quneitra, since the occupation forces took control of the al-Mantarah dam on January 2 of this year, they have prevented them from accessing it or using it, as an earthen barrier about three to four meters high has been built around the dam.
A local activist in Quneitra, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Enab Baladi that the Israeli occupation forces had taken control of the Ruihinah dam, which will further exacerbate the irrigation water shortage crisis in Quneitra.
The Ruihinah dam is an old water dam located in Quneitra province, on the Wadi al-Ruqad.
Quneitra’s irrigation director clarifies
Bassam al-Shamali, the director of irrigation in Quneitra, explained to Enab Baladi that Israel has kept the al-Mantarah dam open for technicians and workers in the water sector, but only prevents local residents from entering the area around the dam. The military point established by Israel is located about 200 meters west of the dam, where they establish heavy machinery and vehicles. Sometimes they encroach beyond the dam and then retreat.
Al-Shamali attributed the irrigation crisis in Quneitra to the exceptional drought problem Syria is facing, stating that the dam contained 18 million cubic meters of water last year, but now only 4 million cubic meters remain, as the dam supplies the entire southern region.
Al-Shamali confirmed that the Quneitra Water Directorate has an emergency plan to supply nearby areas once a week, while more distant areas are supplied twice a month.
The irrigation directorate prioritizes the care of fruit trees, vegetables, and livestock watering. However, according to al-Shamali, the responsibility for seasonal trees belongs to the farmers.
He said, “We cannot open the water as the farmer wants, as it might run out within a month,” which increases the suffering. The emergency supply plan adopted by the directorate suffices farmers for at least a week.
Regarding Israel’s encroachment in the vicinity of the dam, al-Shamali clarified that “if Israel prevents us from accessing the al-Mantarah dam and opening it, we will be facing a severe water disaster,” as it serves as the main artery and reservoir supplying all the dams in Daraa and Quneitra.
The town of Kodna and some neighboring towns in southern Quneitra experienced a shortage of drinking water after Israeli occupation forces took control of the western and eastern Red Hills, near which sources of drinking water are located.
Earlier, Mohammed al-Fawwaz, a worker at the Kodna water network, told Enab Baladi that after the Israeli forces took control of the Red Hills, they destroyed a drinking water well and prevented staff from approaching the pumps during January and February.
After the ban, the Israeli forces allowed staff to access the drinking pumps from 8 AM to 4 PM, which hindered their operation at night, resulting in residents being deprived of long hours of operation.
Israel aggravates drought problem in Quneitra Enab Baladi.
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