Interior Minister Orders Municipalities to Clean Litani Riverbed Ahead of Rain

The following statement was issued by the National Litani River Authority:

"At the request of the National Litani River Authority, His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Ahmad Al-Hajjar, issued a letter addressed to the Governors of Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel, instructing them to direct the relevant municipalities in the Upper Litani Basin to expedite the cleaning of the riverbed and the removal of obstacles and pollutants within their municipal jurisdictions, in coordination with the Authority, in preparation for the precipitation season and to mitigate flood risks.

This measure comes in response to the Authority's letter detailing the current state of the riverbed, which suffers from the accumulation of soil, solid waste, farm residues, and industrial facility waste. Additionally, the channel is narrowed due to displaced persons' camps, encroachments, and random dams, hindering natural water flow and increasing the likelihood of flooding, coinciding with some municipalities neglecting the cleanliness of the river zone within their boundaries.

The Minister requested that the Governors instruct the relevant municipalities to commence cleaning operations and remove obstacles and pollutants, contacting the National Litani River Authority to secure necessary technical support during implementation. He also warned negligent municipalities that they would bear direct responsibility for any damages resulting from river flooding if they fail to act, and required them to report on measures taken. The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces was notified to provide necessary support in coordination with judicial and administrative authorities.

The Authority clarifies that cleaning the riverbed before heavy rains intensify is a necessary preventive measure to protect residents, property, agricultural lands, and infrastructure adjacent to the river; as the accumulation of waste, rubble, and obstacles reduces the channel's capacity to absorb flows, raises water levels, increases the risk of overflow into neighboring areas, and causes pollutants to be swept away towards Lake Qaraoun.

The Authority emphasizes the necessity of implementing works in technical coordination with it, removing resulting debris from the river surroundings, and disposing of them in designated sites to prevent their re-drift into the channel with the first rainfall.

While thanking His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Municipalities for his responsiveness and follow-up, the Authority calls on the relevant municipalities to implement immediately, confirming its readiness to provide necessary technical support, stressing that protecting the Litani riverbed requires regular work to prevent waste accumulation and the recurrence of obstacles and encroachments, preserving citizen safety and the environment."