(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday paid an inspection visit to the water security mega strategic reservoirs project in Al Thumama.
During his visit, the Prime Minister reviewed the progress of the work and the completed stages, and the efforts of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) to implement its projects according to the planned schedule.
The Prime Minister inspected one of the largest water reservoirs in the world before pumping water. The excavation and settling the land of the reservoirs as well as the laying of foundations and infrastructure necessary have been completed. In addition, the construction of the first reservoir, which is currently undergoing testing and experimentation in preparation for water pumping, has also been completed. The second reservoir will be completed by the end of January, while the third will be completed by the end of February.
The Prime Minister underlined the necessity of continuing to diversify resources and find suitable alternatives locally and internationally through economic openness and exploring new horizons of cooperation with various countries in the world in order to ensure the implementation of projects according to the approved timetable.
A presentation was made on the strategic water reservoirs project, its importance in achieving water security of the state, the stages of the work of the project, the achievements made on the ground, and the efforts of Kahramaa to proceed in the implementation of the project according to the planned schedule under the siege conditions.
The visit reflects Prime Minister's keenness to make a close follow up to the progress of the work and his full support to Kahramaa's efforts in various fields, said its President, Eng Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari.
'This will motivate us to exert more efforts as well as this shows the importance that the State gives to water sector which is essential for achieving food security,Al Kuwari stressed.
Al Kuwari emphasised the commitment of the corporation to complete the projects in accordance with the timetable, quality, and standards required in line with the directives of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
'The roofs of reservoirs will be covered with solar cells to provide them with necessary power of electricity from solar energy. About 200 MW of electricity will be produced from solar cells on the reservoir's tops, he added.
World's largest water reservoirs
The giant water reservoirs project is being implemented in five different locations covering all parts of the country, including Umm Salal, Umm Baraka, Rawdat Rashid, Abu Nakhla and Al Thumama.
The project includes 15 water reservoirs, which are the largest in the world with a capacity of about 100 million gallons each, along with the extension of approximately 650km of large size water pipes linking these reservoirs to desalination plants.
The total cost of the project is QR14.5bn and the first phase of the project will be launched in the first half of this year. This will raise the storage capacity to about 1,500 million gallons of water which will cover the country's needs until 2026. Qatari firms taking part in the implementation of the project constitute 55% of the leading international companies. Working hours in the project have exceeded 92 million man hours without loss time injury. More than 24,000 workers, technicians and engineers are participating in the implementation of the project.
The Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, laid the foundation stone for the major strategic water reservoirs project in the State of Qatar in 2015.
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