Nayrouz News Agency : Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud on Wednesday called for "exceptional efforts” to meet water needs across the Kingdom on time and in sufficient quantities as the holy month of Ramadan approaches, along with the beginning of the summer season.

Abul Saud, while heading a meeting of leaders in the water sector, called for responding "positively” to all feedback received from the public, facilitating procedures and employing new sources to meet the 40-per-cent rise in demand for water since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.

He also called for setting a plan for dealing with emergencies, beginning to read subscribers' electricity meters, issuing bills fairly according to the dates of the meter readings and facilitating the electronic payment of the bills, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Abul Saud reviewed the most prominent challenges facing the water sector in light of the coronavirus crisis and the "severe pressure” on most water sources.

He stressed the need to accelerate operation of the Wadi Al Arab Water Conveyance Project’s second phase, which will provide an additional capacity of 5 million cubic metres of drinking water to start supplying the northern governorates.

He also called for preparing plans and programmes to meet farmers’ water needs for agricultural purposes.

The minister instructed concerned authorities to prepare water projects to quickly meet the drinking water shortage.