Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam said on Monday that the Suez Canal irrigation network passed the peak water-demand season without any recorded shortages of irrigation or drinking water, with supplies continuing throughout the summer without interruption.
Sewilam made the comments during an inspection of water infrastructure in Suez governorate, including Shaloufa Pumping Station No. 1, the Suez Canal irrigation canal, the West Shandoura Drain and the intake serving the city’s drinking water treatment plant, the ministry said.
The minister said the Suez irrigation canal had suffered for years from problems affecting the reliability of water supplies, prompting the ministry to introduce emergency measures while developing longer-term solutions.
Upgrades included increasing the capacity of the motors at Shaloufa Pumping Station No. 1 from 155 to 200 kilowatts, installing 1MW transformers and renewing discharge pipelines at four pumping stations. Measuring equipment and telemetry systems were also installed to monitor water levels in real time.
The ministry also dredged the Suez irrigation canal and raised its embankments along 40 km, while carrying out dredging and protection works along 42 km of the Ismailia Canal and rehabilitating 92 control gates serving private irrigation channels.
Sewilam said satellite imagery was being used to monitor aquatic weeds, while digital water management was being expanded, including the use of digital-twin technology on the Ismailia Canal, which feeds the Suez irrigation canal. Work is also under way to increase the canal’s design capacity.
The measures helped maintain uninterrupted water supplies through the Suez irrigation system and to Port Said during the peak season, while reducing the number of complaints from water users, Sewilam said.
During meetings with farmers and water-user associations, Sewilam called for compliance with irrigation schedules and action against illegal water withdrawals and unauthorised pumps. He also said farmers on sandy soils must use modern irrigation systems rather than flood irrigation, warning that violations would face legal action.
