Latest news with #WaterMinistry
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Flooding rains in China's north leave two people and displaces thousands
Heavy rain around Beijing and across northern China killed two people and forced thousands to relocate as authorities warned of further widespread rain and the risk of disasters including landslides and flooding. Two people were dead and two missing in Hebei province, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday morning. Overnight rain dumped a record 145mm per hour on Fuping county in the industrial city of Baoding. China's water ministry issued targeted flood warnings to 11 provinces and regions, including Beijing and neighbouring Hebei, for floods from small and midsize rivers and mountain torrents. Floods and landslides affected many villages in the Miyun district of the capital, with the rural town of Fengjiayu the most severely affected and electricity and communications cut in some villages, CCTV said. More than 3,000 people were transferred out of the area, Beijing News Radio reported on Sunday. Beijing issued a warning on Saturday for geological disasters including landslides and mudslides after intense rainfall unleashed, for a second time, a year's worth of rain on nearby Baoding. Northern China has experienced record rain in recent years, exposing densely populated cities including Beijing to flood risks. Some scientists link the increased rainfall in China's usually arid north to global warming. The storms are part of the broader pattern of extreme weather across China due to the east Asian monsoon, which has caused disruptions in the world's second-largest economy. Baoding's Xizhuang station recorded 540mm in eight hours, exceeding Baoding's average annual rainfall of about 500mm. The deluge affected more than 46,000 people, forcing 4,655 to evacuate, CCTV reported. Chinese authorities closely monitor extreme rainfall and severe flooding are, as they challenge the country's ageing flood defences, threaten to displace millions and wreak havoc on an agricultural sector worth trillions of dollars.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Jordan: Network upgrades save $160mln, 20m cubic metres of water in 2024
AMMAN — Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud on Tuesday said that the government, through its water sector institutions, has set ambitious plans to address the Kingdom's water challenges, upgrade networks, and curb violations. Abul Saud noted that the ongoing network upgrades saved approximately JD114 million and around 20 million cubic metres of potable water for citizens in 2024, according to a ministry statement. The minister also stressed that reducing water loss remains a top priority, achieved through cooperation with the local private sector, the first initiative of its kind in the region. "The partnership has contributed to a 7.5 per cent reduction in water loss in recent years, bringing the national rate down to below 46 per cent," he said, adding that this surpasses the two-year reduction target of 2 per cent, with an annual improvement of around 3 per cent. The minister also said that pilot projects in certain areas, including Aqaba and parts of the capital, have achieved water loss levels close to international standards. He also noted that the causes of water loss are well-defined, with technical losses, including malfunctions and ageing infrastructure, accounting for about 30 per cent, while administrative losses, mainly violations and illegal usage, make up around 70 per cent. In 2024, the government's enforcement efforts led to the confiscation of eight illegal drilling rigs, the removal of 58 violations on public land in the Jordan Valley, and the confiscation of 98 violations at the Al Kahraba Samra Station, the statement said. Additionally, authorities sealed 109 illegal wells and removed 2,976 violations along the King Abdullah Canal, one of the Kingdom's primary water sources. Across various regions, over 16,225 violations on main and secondary water lines were addressed, and 103 cases were referred to the judiciary. These actions contributed to conserving an estimated 20 million cubic metres of water and improved the efficiency of supply in affected areas. Abul Saud also highlighted the sector's increased reliance on technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to manage and distribute water, citing a pilot AI project implemented in a part of Amman to operate and oversee the water network. Additionally, network upgrades have been carried out across 10 areas in Amman, covering 110 kilometres. He also said that water loss reduction projects have now reached 22 per cent of subscribers in the capital, serving around one million citizens. These initiatives have reduced energy consumption by 54 per cent, brought water loss in the targeted areas down to about 15 per cent, and saved nearly 6.5 million cubic metres of water, he said. The minister also highlighted the deployment of mobile units equipped with advanced electronic systems to detect leaks and respond to complaints directly, using best practices and standards adopted by advanced countries. Abul Saud noted that the cost of water per cubic metre has dropped to around JD1.93 in 2024, though the deficit per cubic metre remains at JD0.80. He also said monthly water bills have generated greater public satisfaction, reflecting improved awareness of water conservation and helping ensure consistent bill payments, similar to other services such as electricity and telecommunications. The minister also noted that objections to the bill values decreased to less than 60 per cent by the end of 2024. "Through widespread awareness campaigns, communication efforts, and consumer surveys by water companies, cases of water waste on rooftops and in streets have seen a significant decline compared to previous years," he added. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Free Malaysia Today
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
State govts get almost RM800mil in loans for water supply projects
Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said 28 projects are being implemented to address dry weather and drought. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The federal government has allocated RM796.4 million in loans to state governments this year to finance water supply projects. Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said these projects are among the government's initiatives to tackle the southwest monsoon, which is expected to bring dry weather and drought, reported Bernama. Fadillah, who is also the energy transition and water transformation minister, said 28 projects were being implemented under this initiative as of May. Twelve projects are being carried out in Sabah, five in Sarawak, three each in Pahang and Terengganu, two each in Kedah and Perlis, and one in Kelantan. 'These projects are at various stages of implementation and seven are expected to be completed this year,' he told reporters after attending an Aidiladha sacrificial event at Kampung Tupong Jaya in Kuching, Sarawak, today. Fadillah said his ministry is now focusing on addressing the issue of non-revenue water (NRW), which results from factors such as system inefficiencies, pipe leakages, and water theft. 'When pipe connections are poor, leakages occur, and there are also old pipes that are damaged. Overall, we estimate the country is losing about 40% of its treated water to NRW. We process the water, but 40% of it is lost. This incurs high costs. 'Therefore, our current focus is to find the best method to reassess the piping system and replace damaged pipes.'
India.com
06-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
India's Indus Waters Treaty punishment brings Pakistan to its knees, helpless Islamabad begs Modi govt to...
New Delhi: Since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir in April, India and Pakistan's relations have been going through a very difficult phase. After the Pahalgam attack, India immediately suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that was signed decades ago with Pakistan. This has left Pakistan agitated, and it has written several letters to India regarding this matter. Following the attack in Pahalgam on April 22, on April 24, Devshree Mukherjee, Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, sent a letter to Syed Ali Murtaza, Secretary of Pakistan's Water Ministry, making it clear that Pakistan conducts terrorist attacks through cross-border terrorism in India. India also cited technical reasons while informing about the government's decision to annul the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan has written to India four times so far. In these letters, Pakistan requested India to reconsider its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. Murtaza wrote the first letter to change the decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in the first week of May before Operation Sindoor. After that, the Secretary of Pakistan's Water Ministry wrote three more letters pleading to India to maintain the Indus Waters Treaty. According to sources, the Ministry of Water Power has sent all the letters to the Ministry of External Affairs. After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, PM Modi made it clear to Pakistan that trade and terror, water and blood, bullet and dialogue cannot coexist. India has begun to formulate major plans regarding the Indus river water. This includes a 130-kilometer canal that will connect water from the Beas River to the Ganga canal, and a proposal to construct a canal to connect the Yamuna as well. The IWT was a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, arranged and negotiated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi on 19 September 1960. The Treaty gives India control over the waters of the three Eastern Rivers, the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, which have a total mean annual flow of 41 billion cubic metres. Control over the three Western Rivers, the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, which have a total mean annual flow of 99 billion cubic metres, was given to Pakistan.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Jaishankar Declares Indus Waters Treaty 'Still On Hold' As Pak 'Pleads' After Op Sindoor
/ May 15, 2025, 11:39PM IST External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has made it clear that the Indus Waters Treaty continues to remain in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack until Pakistan acts against cross-border terrorism. His comments come after Pakistan pleaded India to rethink its decision to put the treaty on hold. The secretary of Pakistan's Water Ministry reportedly wrote a letter to his counterpart in India Jal Shakti Ministry to make the demand. Watch for more details.
