Wasit demands the federal government to provide sufficient water for farmers

Shafaq News / Wasit Agriculture Directorate demanded the federal government to increase its water quota, to overcome the negative effects caused by water scarcity.

 The head of the directorate,  Arkan Marioush, told Shafaq News Agency, "The water scarcity has greatly affected the cultivated areas. Last year, the governorate cultivated 120,000 dunums, while this year it was only 90,000 dunums."

"Most of the governorate residents depend on agriculture, as the agricultural plan included providing sufficient water for farmers, but the poor irrigation and the lack of water in the river basin led to a decrease in summer crops planted in Wasit, compared to previous years", he added.

He stressed the need for the Ministry of Water Resources to make new water releases to provide farmers with sufficient water, hoping that this matter would not be repeated during the coming seasons.