Enab Baladi – Marina Merhej
The fall of the previous regime and the escape of influential figures who exploited their power did not revive the lands of the al-Marj area in Eastern Ghouta, rural Damascus.
The farmers’ lands in the region have turned from lush green meadows filled with crops, where one could not see the end of the fields, into barren desert, telling stories of suffering endured by the area for many long years.
Farmers in the region complained in a survey conducted by Enab Baladi about the lack of water due to the diversion of the Barada River’s flow to other areas such as Adra and al-Otaiba, and the reduction of water levels in their wells to 110 meters deep (requiring drilling to this depth to extract water), due to the lack of rainfall the region has witnessed this year, which affected their crops.
The context of the problem
The residents of the al-Marj area were surprised upon their return in 2018 from their displacement due to the battles that took place in Eastern Ghouta, rural Damascus, to find the absence of local sewage and the Barada River channels that used to nourish their lands through a channel called “BC1”, which has been diverted to the eastern area that includes al-Otaiba, al-Furusiyah, al-Jarbah, and its surroundings.
According to farmers interviewed by Enab Baladi, previous officers and influential figures seized the lands in those areas and diverted the water to their farms and projects, which increased their suffering.
Approximately three dunams were cut from every piece of land that the “BC1” channel passed through during its construction, to deliver water through it for about ten days a month, helping to maintain water levels within the basin and protecting it from drought.
Residents tried to demand the return of the water that nourishes their lands through agricultural associations, to convey their voices to the concerned authorities to address the problem of drought and desertification that has affected their crops during the previous regime, but with little success.
Despite the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, this problem still threatens the livelihoods of the residents who work as farmers and animal breeders.
Their demands for the return of water continue, as well as their appeals to the current authorities and international organizations for cooperation and intervention to resolve this issue before the start of the summer planting season.
Costly alternative solutions
Farmers in al-Marj resort to renting agricultural lands in areas that receive water, such as Harasta al-Qantra, as an alternative solution through which they can continue their work and secure their daily necessities and their families’ needs.
Yassin Biro, like other farmers from Deir Salman, was forced to pay about one and a half million Syrian pounds for each meter of land he rented in another irrigated area.
With regret, he gathered with other villagers and told Enab Baladi, “I have 100 dunams of land in Deir Salman, but I cannot cultivate it due to the lack of water.”
He explained that the reason is not only the lack of rainfall this year, but also the failure to activate the water channel for treating the Barada River, which is designated to nourish their lands.
Government action to solve the problem
Khalid Mukabtil, the assistant responsible for the region’s agricultural affairs, told Enab Baladi that the water supply network coming from Damascus to the water treatment station in Adra al-Balad is facing violations in the Ain Tarma area and some neighboring villages in Eastern Ghouta, which prevents this water from reaching the station, being treated, and then redirected to its course through the returning line that includes the “BC1,” “BC2,” “BC3,” and “BC4” channels towards the Eastern Ghouta area.
He explained that this problem is receiving attention from the officials, as a meeting was held on May 12 between the Water Resources Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Union, and some mayors of the areas concerned.
The meeting concluded with instructions for the mayors and agricultural associations to prevent violations and take appropriate legal actions against the offenders.
Mukabtil confirmed the formation of committees in the violation areas, with the assistance of police and General Security Forces, to help in case of any violations and to suppress violations and stop offenses.
During a meeting with Enab Baladi, Mukabtil promised to resolve the issue that has persisted for years, indicating the start of institutional work that the new government aspires to, and the resumption of water flow to its channels through the sewage channels, as well as abolishing what is known as “the bypass water” that is sold directly from the station and not pumped through the lines.
The term “bypass water” refers to untreated water resulting from the stoppage of the sewage treatment station for some reason, which is then diverted to the al-Otaiba Lake, where the soil processes it.
Mukabtil pointed out that it is possible during this period to provide only a portion of this water to farmers growing wheat crops, then re-cultivate the land and ultimately eliminate the bypass.
After abolishing the bypass water, the resumption of water flow to the channels will return, according to planned strategies, to be distributed fairly among the villages in the Eastern Ghouta area, within a specified timetable.
Al-Marj loses its green cover: Farmers demand restoration of water supply Enab Baladi.
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