Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh
Following a sudden decision by the Economy Committee of the Deir Ezzor Civil Council, which is associated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), to halt the operation of the al-Zar irrigation pumping station, farmers in the eastern rural areas of Deir Ezzor are facing a crisis that threatens their summer crops.
The decision was conveyed verbally to the station’s employees in the village of al-Zar, which has been inactive since the first week of June, at a critical time when crops require large quantities of water, signaling an impending “disaster” for agriculture and the economy in the region, according to the farmers.
According to estimates, the decision harms more than 15,000 acres that receive irrigation water from the pumping station, affecting agricultural lands from the village of al-Zar to the town of al-Shenan in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
Crop death or paying the bills
Thousands of farmers in the villages of the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor rely entirely on the al-Zar pumping station for irrigating their crops; thus, halting the station means the death of their crops and watching them wilt before their eyes.
Farmer Ahmad al-Ali from the town of Ash-Shahil, who owns ten acres planted with cotton and yellow corn, expressed his anger at the decision, saying, “I’ve invested everything I have in this land and paid for seeds, fertilizers, and fuel, and now these costs are evaporating before my eyes.”
He added to Enab Baladi that he spent around 3,000 US dollars on planting the land and hoped this season would be good to recoup losses from previous years, but the station has been stopped for days, and the officials tell him it will not operate until irrigation bills are paid, or in other words, until money is extracted from farmers by force.
The farmer mentioned that the decision to stop the station negatively impacted thousands of families who rely on agriculture as their sole source of livelihood.
For his part, Hussein al-Mahmadan, who grows summer vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and local okra, pointed out that his crops require daily watering, considering that “one day of drought can ruin the entire crop.”
Al-Mahmadan stated that losses are increasing daily with the cessation of water pumping, as the tomatoes have been severely affected, estimating that he has lost more than half of his crop.
The committee has been accustomed to collecting amounts from the farmers benefiting from the irrigation station annually based on the area they cultivate, but this year, farmers did not pay, attributing their reasons to their poor financial condition.
An imminent environmental and economic catastrophe
To assess the scale of potential damages and the impact of this decision on the agricultural sector in the region, Enab Baladi met with agricultural engineer Diaa al-Jarrah, who asserted that stopping the al-Zar pumping station at this critical time is tantamount to a death sentence for the agricultural season.
The engineer stated that this station serves vast areas of agricultural land in the region, supporting thousands of acres planted with strategic crops such as cotton and corn, in addition to summer vegetables, which are a primary source of income for farmers.
He added that summer crops require large quantities of water during their various growth stages, especially during flowering and fruit formation; thus, the lack of water leads to wilting plants, falling flowers and fruits, and shrinkage of seeds, which reduces yields and often results in the complete death of the plant.
He noted that in the cases of cotton and corn, the losses will be tremendous, as these crops are very sensitive to water shortages during this period.
The damage does not only extend to the current crops but also affects the soil, according to the engineer, because the lack of moisture leads to soil cracking and increased salinity over the long term, making it less fertile and suitable for cultivation in future seasons.
The agricultural engineer considered what is happening to be akin to a “comprehensive environmental and economic disaster if the situation is not addressed quickly.”
Organizing for revenue collection
An employee of the Economy Committee in AANES (who preferred to remain unnamed because he is not authorized to speak to the media) pointed out that the decision is part of efforts to organize the revenue collection process and ensure service continuity.
He mentioned that the Economy Committee is aware of the importance of irrigation for farmers, but operating the pumping stations incurs significant costs for maintenance, fuel, and salaries for employees.
He said, “For a long time, there has been significant negligence regarding the payment of irrigation dues by some farmers, which has affected the committee’s ability to provide this service sustainably.”
He noted that the goal of this decision is not to harm farmers but to urge them to commit to paying the accumulated dues to ensure the continuity of the station’s operation and water provision for all.
He pointed out that the committee is working on establishing a more effective mechanism for revenue collection to prevent this issue from recurring in the future and may resort to temporary solutions in coordination with the most affected farmers.
The employee did not provide a clear answer about reactivating the station, merely stating that “the matter is under study, and the station will be reactivated once satisfactory solutions are reached that ensure fair revenue collection for the dues.”
Stopping al-Zar pump threatens thousands of acres of crops in Deir Ezzor Enab Baladi.
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