Juba, South Sudan
April 20, 2022 — South Sudan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has refuted allegations that the Ministry is planning for the resumption of Jonglei Canal, Press Secretary at Ministry said.
This came after many media commentators wrote many articles purporting that the machines to revisit Jonglei Canal Project have been imported from Egypt.
“People fear that the resumption of Jonglei and dredging of rivers will solely satisfy the dire need of Nile Water by Egypt and could incur negative impact on the Sudd wetlands.” articles writers claimed.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia from capital Juba, the Press Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mr. Gattiek Wichar, said the allegations made on social media about the arrival of equipments for the resumption of the Canal are ” misleading”, saying such headlines should not be taken serious by public.
” I would like to bring it to your attention that there are no machines imported to dig the Canal as it has been alleged by the media such statements are propaganda and fake intended to generate opposition to Ministry’s activities”, Mr. Wichar said.
Wichar said what the Ministry proposed is to conduct feasibility studies on the impact of 260kms which have been already dug out of 340kms from Canal to ease Ecosystem and livelihoods of the locals, then the findings of these studies will determine whether or not the project will be resumed.
“.. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has proposed to conduct feasibility studies on the impact of 260kms of the Canal to the livelihood and biodiversity then from there the decision to resume Canal shall be determined through findings of the studies “, he added.
The Jonglei Canal Project is very controversial although its construction started in 1978 before South Sudan gained independence and this is pushing the ministry to consider better ways to explain its current projects on its resumption.
