The mayor of al-Qaa village in the Baalbeck-Hermel district, Bashir Matar, issued an urgent appeal on behalf of the town’s farmers, who rely on artesian wells to irrigate their lands and ensure a decent living under the current difficult circumstances.
“We raise this urgent call to the concerned authorities regarding the repercussions of the Lebanese-Syrian agreement on the distribution of the al-Assi River waters, which prevents us from cleaning and drilling wells,” Matar stated.
He explained that the agreement (which was signed and published in the Official Gazette in December 2002) stipulated a ban on drilling artesian wells in exchange for building a dam to collect and distribute water to agricultural lands.
However, the dam construction has not been carried out and seems unlikely to be implemented, while the ban on drilling and maintaining wells is being rigorously enforced.
“The drying up of wells and the inability to clean them result in thirsty trees and crops, threatening to turn the land barren,” he added.
Matar pointed out that “the decision by (caretaker) Energy Minister Walid Fayad not to consider requests for well-cleaning until next October adds the burdens on farmers and contributes to their crops’ thirst and their ruin.”
Matar urged for a swift solution to fairly and legally allow farmers to clean wells to irrigate their lands without exception. “Farmers must be supported and empowered to continue cultivating their lands and contributing to the national economy,” he added.
