Members of the agricultural committee at the chamber accused the ministry of rushing to announce the survey results, saying that the survey was based on only 20 percent of areas in the Kingdom, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
Businessman Muhammad Abu Nian said the ministry had not concluded its study yet, denying at the same time the agriculture committee’s statement that the ministry banned farmers from growing major crops.
Abu Nian confirmed that such prevention would be applied gradually, starting with wheat, and that the ministry was still carrying surveys and studies covering the entire regions of the Kingdom.
The agricultural committee negotiated the draft of the national water strategy, which had been prepared by the Ministry of Water and Electricity.
The committee stated that they had reached several conclusions and made important recommendations. It confirmed a major lack of basic information and inaccuracy of the data provided in the draft strategy. It stated that 80 percent of underground water in the Kingdom had not yet been covered and needed more hydrological surveys.
There was also a lack of accuracy over the estimated quantity of water needed to grow main crops in the Kingdom.
The national water strategy focused on growing demand for water supply, giving the impression that the strategy jumped over existing facts and failed to obtain the necessary data necessary to formulate a viable strategy.
Among the recommendations made was the advice to speed up building a database with the latest information on the available water resources before preparing any national water strategy.
The committee also recommended the establishment of a new body to handle water supply and consumption, and to coordinate between related authorities. The recommendations also included transferring the irrigation department in Ahsa to a general corporation at the national level.
