AMMAN - The government will sign a $350,000 grant agreement with USAID before the end of this month to determine the feasibility of projects meant to rehabilitate the chronically polluted Zarqa River, a senior environment official said yesterday.
The study, to be carried out by a team of local and international experts, will determine where infrastructure work is needed, which wastewater pumping stations need to be expanded, and where brick factories are to be relocated, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani told The Jordan Times yesterday.
In a study prepared earlier this year, the ministry identified the river's main sources of contamination as wastewater leakage, the Ain Ghazal sewage tanker facility, nearby factories, car wash stations, flooding sewer systems and the Greater Amman Municipality slaughterhouse.
The plan includes conducting maintenance work on drainage systems in Zarqa and Amman, establishing a 21km sewage pipeline from the West Zarqa Pumping Station to the Khirbet Al Samra Station, establishing a new slaughterhouse and studying the relocation of quarries to a new industrial site.
Irani, who said that work is already underway to rehabilitate the river, added that the deal will be signed by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and USAID. He noted that the study will be carried out immediately.
He said the ministry is continuing with its efforts to secure funds for the rehabilitation projects.
The severely polluted Zarqa River is located in Zarqa Governorate, which has a reputation for being one of the country's environmental black spots and is home to 52 per cent of the Kingdom's industrial plants.
The pollution levels in the river have gotten so severe in recent years that nearby residents complain about the stench from the river which becomes particularly putrid in the summer months.
Spraying pesticides along the river and cleaning the sewer pipes are among immediate measures taken to reduce environmental and health problems, according to the ministry.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2007
