Muscat, August 19 - The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources is responsible for dams in the Sultanate. Wadi al Sirin Dam, lying at around 50 km from Muscat, is located adjacent to the eastern Al Hajar Mountains range at the main entrance of Wadi al Sirin. The dam is built of sand, gravel and cement and it is protected by a wide network of wires. The project aims to recharge ground water, minimise salinity and reduce floods. Officials said, “This type of water projects are a great help for the inhabitants in remote villages who do not have the conventional water sources. Furthermore, it will also help improve their social and economic conditions. The dam is currently full of water, and attracts a number of wildlife species.
Wadi al Sirin Reserve is situated adjacent to this dam. “The natural reserve is home to diverse wild animals such as deer and the Arabian Tahr,” an environmentalist told the Observer. Locals at Wadi al Sirin expressed their gratitude for the construction of such projects which also contributed to the agricultural production. “Previously, we were suffering since we did not have adequate amount of water. This dam reduces the salinity of the soil and helped us to resume farming. Nowadays, we have the ability to send our produce to Qurayat and Muttrah vegetable markets,” a farmer said.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY YAHYA AL SALMANI
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