Plans to build one of the world's most ambitious fresh water pipelines in the Gulf region are expected to be unveiled in London on Thursday, said the BBC.online.
Designed as a radical solution to the water shortage problems of the Gulf, the 540-kilometer-long project will carry water from the Karkheh dam in northern Iran, to the coast of southern Kuwait.
Costing about two billion dollars, the pipeline is being built by a consortium of European, Arab, and Japanese companies, said the BBC.
About 330 kilometers of the pipeline will run across Iranian territory, while the rest will run under the sea.
Iran’s News Agency (IRNA) reported Wednesday that some 760 million liters of water per day will be supplied to the emirate by the Islamic Republic.
Citing official, the agency added that the project will be beneficial for Iran and the regional security to supply water to the Gulf region.
According to the BBC, one of the advantages is that the project will enable Kuwait to rely less heavily on desalination, which is believed to be causing environmental damage to its coastline.
But some claim that the pipeline will simply divert the problem by putting excessive strain on the water supply of northern Iran.
Either way, the progress of this project will be closely watched, said the news service.
Meanwhile, Oman’s minister of water resources, Hamid bin Said bin Aufi, said the government has intensified its campaign to fight water shortages and ensure adequate domestic consumption in every house.
Gulf News quoted the minister as saying during a tour to the Masarrat water basin that the project would go a long way to remove the acute water shortage.
Al Aufi said the first phase of the project, due for completion early next year, includes the construction of reservoirs and pumping stations, and the laying of pipelines, added the paper – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
