Due to the onset of heavy rains, and to prevent the flooding of the canal waters on the orchards and neighboring lands, the National Litani River Authority took urgent measures to divert water at the Zrarieh diversion dam towards the Litani River.

LRA's teams also smuggled water from the canal in several locations, including the Abu Al-Aswad smuggling dam, the Asimiyah smuggling dam in the Sarafand area, in addition to the smuggling dams in the Aaqbieh, Zahrani and Ghazieh areas.

This step comes within the framework of LRA's efforts to preserve public and private property, and prevent rainwater from flooding on the orchards and neighboring roads, which contributes to reducing the damage that may be caused to farmers' lands and crops.

These measures demonstrate the National Litani River Authority's keenness to preempt any risks resulting from rising water levels, and to confirm its commitment to maintaining agricultural security and protecting water resources in the region, which contributes to ensuring the continuity of agricultural production.

Despite the ongoing Israeli aggression on southern Lebanon, the Litani River Authority continues its diligent work to maintain the cleanliness of the filters and culverts and ensure the continuous flow of water along the Qasimiya Ras Al-Ain Irrigation Project.

LRA's team cleans the filters and culverts from the Matariya area all the way to the Ghazieh Real Estate area, then collects the dirt and transports it to the landfills approved by the Authority.

The filters and culverts were cleaned in several locations including Al-Wasta, Al-Kharayeb, Abu Al-Aswad, Al-Bissariya, Al-Aqbiyeh and Al-Masla (Ghazieh). These efforts come within the framework of LRA's keenness to prevent the blockage of filters, secure water for farmers and support vital projects in the region.

Despite the challenges and difficult circumstances, Litani River Authority remains committed to ensuring the flow of water along the project, which contributes to preserving citizens' crops.

Statement issued by the National Litani River Authority:

In coordination with the Lebanese Army and the Intelligence Directorate in the South, the Litani River Authority's specialized technical teams, in the presence of the Head of the Investment and Maintenance Authority, Engineer Imad Terro, this morning, Sunday, October 13, 2024, and accompanied by elements of the Lebanese Army and with the participation of the Head of the Southern Farmers' Gathering, Engineer Mohammad Al-Husseini, inspected the main conveyor of the Qasimiya and Ras Al-Ain irrigation project in the Arzi area and the culverts leading to the main pumping station of the Qasimiya project, to determine the extent of the damage resulting from the raids launched by the Israeli enemy on these vital and civilian facilities on October 8.

The Litani River Authority announces that based on the results of the inspection, the maintenance teams began preparing the machinery, equipment and materials required to carry out temporary and urgent maintenance, especially for the main conveyor on the canal in the Arzi area, to restart the canal and supply it with water to enable farmers to irrigate their lands to preserve agricultural crops.
LRA also indicates that maintenance work is expected to begin as soon as possible after obtaining the required security approvals from the Lebanese Army and all other security agencies responsible for issuing special permits due to the security conditions in the country.

LRA affirms its commitment to providing water to subscribers despite the challenges and risks, considering that the water and agriculture sectors constitute the most prominent elements of steadfastness and protection of food security.

Finally, we extend our thanks to the Lebanese Army Command and the Intelligence Directorate, represented by the Head of the Army Intelligence Branch in the South, Brigadier General Suhail Harb, for facilitating and following up on this urgent and necessary mission to save thousands of hectares of agricultural land.

The National Litani River Authority announced the detection of cholera bacteria in the waters of the Litani River in the upper basin during its periodic examinations of samples from random and pre-specified locations of the Litani River waters.
The Authority indicated that water contaminated with cholera bacteria is the most important reason for its spread, especially since the Litani River, especially in its upper basin, still receives untreated sewage contaminated with various types of bacteria.
On September 9, 2024, the National Litani River Authority took water samples from 7 points in the Litani River in its upper basin to monitor any cholera contamination, and these samples were analyzed in the Authority's laboratory in Khirbet Qanafar.

The results showed that the water was contaminated with cholera bacteria at two points: the sewage collection point in Chtaura and the Litani River point at the Dalhamiya Bridge. It is worth noting that these two points also recorded cholera contamination when the epidemic broke out in 2022.

The Litani River Authority warns of the current situation of the river and requests the cessation of all activities that could exacerbate this situation or lead to a new outbreak of the epidemic, as once the cholera germ reaches the surface water, it will spread and spread to all points, which carries a serious health risk that threatens all the people of the upper Litani River basin.

On September 3, 2024, the head of the Litani River National Authority, Dr. Sami Alawieh, received a delegation of industrial establishments located in the upper basin of the Litani River, headed by the head of the Industrialists' Association in the Bekaa, Mr. Nicola Abu Faisal, where the attendees provided an explanation of the environmental issues related to their establishments.

During this meeting, it was decided to form a joint technical committee between the Litani River National Authority and industrialists in order to determine the treatment principles in light of technical expertise and previous experiences. The Litani River National Authority expressed its readiness to assist all industrialists in improving the treatment of polluted water resulting from their factories and protecting the Litani River from industrial pollution through this joint committee. It also praised the industrialists who are fully prepared to treat water inside their factories and focused on the need to continue treatment and operation of stations to avoid any additional pollution.

On August 5, 2024, and upon the assignment of the sole criminal judge in Zahle, expert Carol Sakhn, along with the technical teams of the National Litani River Authority, revisited 3 industrial establishments, namely Hajjar Food Factory, Chateau Kherbet Qanafar, and Alpha Interfood Factory, to take samples of the treated industrial water in the aforementioned establishments and evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.

The expert and the technical teams of the Authority also took samples from two hospitals, namely Chtaura Hospital and Rayak Hospital, at their request after they reported that the treatment plants had achieved the required effectiveness.

Statement issued by the Syndicate of Employees and Workers of the National Litani River Authority
Commenting on the decision of the Ministry of Finance to refuse to implement the provisions of Decree No. 13020 dated 2/28/2024 on employees, contractors and workers of the National Litani River Authority, despite the applicability of the decision of the Board of Directors of the Authority, which includes transferring credits for this purpose, to the relevant laws and regulations, and coupled with the approval of the Ministry of Energy and Water.

The Syndicate of Employees and Workers of the National Litani River Authority addresses all concerned political and governmental bodies, the need to draw the attention of the Ministry of Finance to the need to take into account the principles of exercising guardianship over public institutions in accordance with the provisions of Decree 4517 related to the organization of public institutions, in a manner that allows these institutions to ensure the operation of public facilities, especially in light of the current circumstances and the state of war that the country is experiencing, which threatens the safety of vital facilities of the Authority, especially the Qaraoun Dam, hydroelectric power plants and irrigation projects that fall within the scope of Israeli attacks.

In light of the current circumstances, and in light of the risk of the lives of the Authority's employees to serve the steadfast citizens and farmers of the South, the Syndicate appeals to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Nabih Berri, and the Prime Minister, Mr. Najib Mikati, to ask the Minister of Finance to review this unjust decision in a way that allows the Authority to continue to carry out its duties, strengthens the internal front in the face of Israeli attacks, and ensures the steadfastness of the population in the targeted villages, by securing electricity and irrigation water, and allows the stability of the public network of the Electricity of Lebanon through the production of the Litani Authority, to ensure the continued supply of vital facilities benefiting from public service lines, especially the airport and water and sewage pumping stations.

The Authority points out that the implementation of the provisions of the decree only includes securing a fuel tank allowance for the Authority's employees to enable them to reach their work centers and secure shifts around the clock in the power plants and pumping stations.

Finally, the Syndicate addresses the Ministry of Finance, does not the employee who risks his life and sheds his blood deserve to receive fuel to reach his place of work..? Or his martyrdom on the road could contribute to reducing the burden on the treasury.
Syndicate Council
08/06/2024

On 4-7-2024, the sole criminal judge in Zahle, Mohammad Sharaf, issued three judicial rulings against institutions accused by the National Authority of the Litani River for the crime of polluting the Litani River.

Among these institutions is one of the industrial institutions classified as the most dangerous to the Litani River, which is the company Columph of Lebanon LLC, owned by Armand Yaacoub Al-Saght, which specializes in the manufacture of concrete strengthening powder, paint materials and anti-staining materials. The second is the company Youssef Group LLC, owned by Joseph Yaacoub Youssef, which specializes in the Arabization, packaging and wrapping of vegetables and fruits. The third ruling was against an unlicensed plastic factory owned by Antoine Al-Murr.

The three issued rulings convicted the defendants, owners of the aforementioned industrial establishments, and fined them and obligated them to plant pine tree seedlings on the banks of the Litani River and conduct periodic inspections under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment and the National Authority of the Litani River, in addition to closing the unlicensed factory until it obtains the necessary licenses that allow it to continue its work.

- The ruling of the company Columph of Lebanon, owned by Armand Yaacoub, was outraged.

- The ruling of Youssef Group Company, owned by Joseph Yacoub Youssef

- The ruling of Antoine Adib Al-Murr

After the expansion of fishing activities of polluted fish from Lake Qaraoun by displaced Lebanese Syrians and their disposal in markets and restaurants, the National Authority of the Litani River sent a letter to His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, requesting that the competent authorities be assigned to implement the decision to ban fishing in Lake Qaraoun and to prevent the movement of fishing boats in the lake, due to the risks this poses to public health and the safety of the Qaraoun Dam. It also sent another letter requesting the organization and control of the movement of tourist and recreational boats within Lake Qaraoun and the control of the conditions of this navigation in accordance with the requirements of the public interest and in a manner that protects public and strategic facilities and in a manner that protects public health.

- Letter addressed to the Minister of Interior and Municipalities Bassam Mawlawi regarding the fishing of polluted fish from the lake

- The letter addressed to the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Bassam Mawlawi, regarding the organization and control of the movement of tourist and recreational boats in Lake Qaraoun

The National Litani River Authority sent a series of letters to His Excellency the Minister of Energy and Water, Dr. Walid Fayyad, His Excellency the Minister of Interior, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Firas Abiad, His Excellency the Director General of State Security, Major General Tony Saliba, and to the Governor of the Bekaa, Judge Kamal Abu Jaoudeh, and the Governor of Baalbek-Hermel, Mr. Bashir Khodr, regarding the ban on irrigating crops with the waters of the Litani River and its tributaries in the upper basin of the Litani River and the necessity of ensuring health security, the quality of irrigation water, and food safety within the framework of the pursuit and search for food security. The Authority requested the aforementioned authorities to take measures aimed at generalizing the ban on irrigating all agricultural lands and crops from the Litani River in the upper basin of the Litani River within the scope of the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate and the Bekaa.

Book of the Minister of Energy and Water

Book of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities

Book of the Governor of Baalbek-Hermel

Bekaa Governor's Book

State Security's Book

On May 22, 2024, the maintenance team in the Irrigation Department of Lebaa, under the supervision of the Investment and Maintenance Department, completed maintenance of the main network with an external diameter of 620 mm between the towns of Marah Al-Habas and Lebaa before the double outlet No. 8 - 9/4 at a distance of 120 meters. After testing the network and ensuring that there was no water leakage from it, it was re-fed with irrigation water and supplied again to the areas that had been cut off.