4 arrested for alleged illegal well drilling in Irbid

Drilling rig confiscated in Azraq

By Hana Namrouqa - Sep 28,2017 - Last updated at Sep 28,2017

A drilling rig allegedly used for illegal well drilling is confiscated by the authorities on Tuesday (Photo courtesy of Ministry of Water and Irrigation)

AMMAN — Authorities late Tuesday arrested four people who were allegedly digging an illegal well in the Ramtha District of Irbid Governorate, an official said on Wednesday.

Authorities also seized and confiscated a drilling rig in Azraq in Zarqa Governorate, the official at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation indicated.

“The ministry’s emergency centre received information about a water well being drilled at a private farm in Ramtha at a late hour on Tuesday. A team from the ministry and security forces raided the farm and stopped the illegal activity,” the official told The Jordan Times.

Three Jordanians, including the owner of the farm, and a Syrian national have been arrested, the official said, noting that the suspects are now being investigated.

“We found that this group of people was digging a deep well, which was 500-metres deep. They have been arrested and the drilling rig has been confiscated,” the official underlined.

Also on Tuesday, authorities confiscated a drilling rig in Azraq, off its main road, the official said, noting that it was unlicensed. He noted that investigations are under way to find out the reason why it was left off the main road.

The ministry banned the drilling of wells in 1998 to limit random pumping of water, in order to preserve aquifers from depletion and salinity. Water theft and violations on the water network and resources are being targeted by an ongoing campaigning, launched by the ministry in 2013.
Recent ministry’s figures show that 32,000 violations on water networks and resources have been stopped since the campaign started. In addition, a total of 900 illegal wells have been sealed, 53 drilling rigs confiscated and 800 cases referred to courts. In the process, a total of 25 million cubic metres of water have been retrieved per year, according to the ministry, which encouraged the public to contact the ministry’s unified water emergency number on 117116 to report any suspected violations against the water network and resources.

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