Amman, Nov 12 (Petra) – The Ministry of Water and Irrigation, in cooperation with security bodies, stepped up a security campaign to seize and plug unauthorized wells in the Southern Shuna region of the Jordan Valley.

The clampdown saw eight illegal wells, which were drilled on state-owned land, filled. These were drawing 5,000 cubic meters of water per hour to supply farms or sell it to nearby farms through pipes or tanker trucks, the ministry said in a press release.

It said security authorities raided the site and began plugging the wells and removing violations in cooperation with the Energy Authority and the National Electric Power Company, where 3.8 km of power lines that were tapped into the main grid to operate the wells were disconnected along with long pipes.

Four electrical control panels were also seized, it said, adding that reports on the campaign will be filed and sent to relevant authorities for legal action.

The Water Authority said the campaign, a joint effort with the Ministry of Interior, the Public Security Directorate and other bodies, is ongoing across various areas, vowing stiff penalties on assaults on water sources.

//Petra//SS