Ministries of water and electricity and finance have been directed to speedily implement plans to tide over the water crisis gripping the Asir Region. A Royal Directive has been issued in this regard, Prince Faisal Bin Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Asir Region, said here on Wednesday. The package of measures ordered by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, includes the shifting of the floating desalination units to the shores of the desalination plant in Shaqaq. However, this is to be associated with the operation of the Shoaiba Project 2 whose daily capacity is 50,000 cubic meters of water, Al-Riyadh daily said. The measures also stressed the importance of expediting construction work in Atoud and Merba dams which will supply an additional 25,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of water a day. Apart from this, a waterline project linking Bish Water Dam to the Water Purification Station in Atud Valley will be tendered for public bidders. However, the project is expected to pump into the region's water network about 5,000 cubic meters of water daily. Three underground wells will also be dug up at Atud Valley. King Abdullah has also ordered hiring of a fleet of water tank trucks to load water from Bish Valley and pump it into the Water Purification Station in Barmyia. The tankers will daily provide about 12,000 to 15,000 cubic meters of water. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Prince Faisal extended thanks to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, for their support for the region of Asir as for all other regions of the Kingdom. Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Water and Electricity attributed water shortage to climatic changes and drought in most parts of the Kingdom due to not enough rainfall. They pointed out that the drought has affected the underground water resources thus drying up dams and valleys. They also pointed at an irrational pattern in water consumption by the inhabitants in the Kingdom and use of potable water by farmers for irrigating their farms. __
