Aflaj restoration rose 233% in 2022

Aflaj restoration rose 233% in 2022

Muscat – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) restored 233 aflaj in 2022 compared to 70 in 2021, which is a whopping increase of 233 per cent in a year.

An official at the ministry informed that the specialists from MAFWR repaired highest number of aflaj in North Batinah, which stands at 100, followed by 42 in North Sharqiyah, 37 in Dahirah, 28 in South Sharqiyah, 14 in Dhofar, nine in South Batinah, two in Dakhliyah and one in Buraimi governorate.

“Aflaj maintenance aims to support the water sector and farmers in the sultanate to achieve water security. Aflaj are considered one of the major traditional irrigation systems on which Omanis have depended for ages. The aflaj types vary according to the geology and hydrology of the area.”There are 4,112 aflaj across Oman.

Water licencesA total of 964 water licences were issued in November 2022, according to statistics released by MAFWR .

In a statement, MAFWR said, ‘Licences were issued for registration of wells, dams, aflaj and for drilling wells, besides those for the use of large volume of water for various development projects.’

The ministry informed that in the last two years, it updated regulations based on water availability and likely