Litani River National Authority Urges Acceleration of Sanitation Projects to Curb Pollution

The Litani River National Authority addressed a letter to the President of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, Engineer Mohammad Kabbani, as part of its follow-up on the pollution crisis in the Litani River basin and Lake Qaraoun. The letter urged the acceleration of the implementation and completion of sanitation projects and treatment plants, as well as the unification of data and efforts among relevant authorities to limit pollution sources and protect water resources.

This letter follows up on the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam at the Government Palace on July 21, 2025, which was dedicated to discussing the pollution problem in the Litani River and Lake Qaraoun, and concluded with assigning the Authority to prepare a remedial roadmap in coordination with the relevant administrations.

The Authority affirmed that addressing the sanitation crisis in the basin is not limited to regulatory measures and pursuing pollution sources, but requires the completion of sustainable structural solutions, accelerating the implementation of sewage networks and treatment plants, their operation, and connecting existing networks to them, thereby limiting the discharge of untreated wastewater into the Litani River and its tributaries.

It requested the Council for Development and Reconstruction to provide it with updated data on sewage network and treatment plant projects within the Litani basin, including implementation stages, financial, logistical, and field conditions, remaining works, and expected timeframes for completing suspended projects or reactivating them.

It indicated that the goal of this is to establish a unified information database that helps identify priorities and monitor projects jointly and in a coordinated manner.

The Authority also stressed the necessity of considering the general master plan for the sanitation sector and the reality of existing projects when studying or proposing new projects within the basin, ensuring their integration and avoiding the creation of separate stations or projects that do not align with the sector's overall planning.

It confirmed that unifying technical and executive data and enhancing coordination with the Council for Development and Reconstruction would accelerate the completion and operation of sanitation systems, as these are fundamental measures for reducing pollution sources, protecting water resources, and improving the water quality of the Litani River and Lake Qaraoun.