Israel could be left without potable water

Terrorism is not the only problem of Israel. In the country, there is a serious lack of potable water. A year ago, special committee was even created in the parliament, which must comprehensively analyze the situation. Recently, the committee headed by David Magen, presented a 300-page report. Main propositions of the report could be formulated in this way: it is necessary to create an independent body on “water issue,” for next two years, “state of emergency” should be declared and consuming of water essentially cut down. According to the report, water crisis will be only aggravated in the next three years and result in lack of water. The latter circumstance could, in its turn, negatively influence the state of the economy. According to Gaarets Israeli newspaper, the reasons of the situation is that the issue was neglected for many years. Nobody was seriously occupying himself with searches for new sources of potable water. The report, however, gives prime-ministers Barak and Sharon their due: namely in their time, the government finally started to solve this problem. The report makes finance functionaries responsible for the situation. They spend 600 million shekels for other aims, instead spending this money for adopting the water infrastructure for the changing necessities of the country, The Magen committee recommended to create a new post by the Prime-Minister: plenipotentiary on water supply. The plenipotentiary should have right to recall licenses of water-supplying organizations and to give new licenses. One of the ways to solve the problem could be import of water from Turkey. This will be rather a political, than an economical step. Two new water desalination works will be launched at the soonest in two years.

Sergei Borisov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/30/42005.html