Egypt refers illegal encroachments on Nile to military prosecution
The Egyptian government is addressing illegal Nile River dumping or diversions by sending suspects to military courts.
CAIRO — The Egyptian government is cracking down on illegal encroachments on the Nile River.
In a statement on July 9, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty said that the government is taking immediate action to preserve its waterways and is referring violators to military prosecution.
Abdel Aty urged his departments to look for any form of encroachment on the Nile River, canals and drains. “The most serious of these encroachments consist of backfilling,” he said, which could block the water flow.
According to statistics published by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation on July 10, out of around 177,000 cases of encroachment on the Nile, about 60,000 have been removed, including residential constructions, backfilling and pollution, whether due to sewage water or fish cages.
