Walid Fayad, Caretaker Energy Minister, paid an inspection visit to the Beirut and Nahr al-Kalb rivers on Friday, as clean-up efforts neared completion.
The tour’s objective was to inspect the work being done to clean up the riverbeds in order to avoid previous problems such as flooding, landslides, and rock falls caused by severe rains.
Fayad indicated that the clean-up of the Beirut River has gone very well so far, along its entire course, including the widening of its neck, following the removal of encroachments caused by the intersection of maritime and river properties, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works.
He urged the Lebanese people to be “responsible for the protection of the environment, although the state is primarily responsible for it,” emphasizing that everyone should “commit to a civilized environment.”
On the electricity issue, he stressed that he is seeking to increase supply by diversifying fuel sources, hoping that relations with Algeria would develop and return to what they were before the problem with Sonatrach, Algeria’s national hydrocarbons company.
In 2009, Sonatrach and Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) signed a contract under which the Algerian company supplied diesel fuel to Lebanese power plants, to offset recurring power shortages in Lebanon.
In 2021, Sonatrach notified EDL that it would no longer renew its fuel import contract. This interruption was primarily due to the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon, which led to significant payment delays and difficulties in meeting commitments.
The multiple political crises also contributed to this situation, leading to tensions with Sonatrach.
Fayad also revealed that diesel ships will be arriving in Lebanon between Friday and Saturday.
