By Hana Namrouqa

AMMAN – The Disi Water Conveyance Project is on pace and GAMA, the implementing company, said there will be no delay, Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar said on Tuesday.

“The number of pipes at the location indicates that the project is on the right track. The company is committed to meeting its deadlines and it has assured us that there will be no delays in the project,” he said yesterday.

Najjar made the remarks during a press meeting yesterday, where he highlighted that the ministry is now focusing on the “quality of work, including pipelines and construction”.

Being carried out on a build-operate-transfer basis by the Turkish company GAMA, the project entails constructing a 325-kilometre pipeline that will convey water from the ancient Disi aquifer in the south of Jordan to Amman.

The Disi project is expected to supply the capital with 100 million cubic metres of water annually by the end of 2012.

Najjar noted that a meeting with GAMA is scheduled for later this month, during which the company will present the ministry with documents about the quality of materials being used in the construction of the project.

“The company will hand over tests to ensure that the materials used in the project are 100 per cent safe and in accordance with standards,” the minister said.

Also yesterday, Najjar announced the ministry’s plans for reducing its energy bill.

“The Ministry of Water and Irrigation accounts for 15 per cent of the country’s energy bill, which is a huge percentage,” Najjar said.

He added that the ministry will float a tender in October for replacing equipment at its pumping stations across the country with energy-efficient devices.

“A total of JD600,000 is expected to be saved annually in some areas, while the figure increase to JD1.5 million in Irbid, where we operate two water treatment plants,” Najjar noted.
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=28521