PM inaugurates high-tech water-monitoring centre

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Monday inaugurated a centre to monitor and remotely control operations in the water sector and launched a unified phone number for water complaints (117116), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

During a meeting, Water Minister Hazem Nasser briefed Mulki on the importance of the centre, which includes several divisions concerned with round-the-clock monitoring of water operations, pumping stations, storage dams and wells, in addition to other water facilities.

The monitoring centre observes the quality and quantity of water resources, with any technical errors being resolved through these systems. 

During the meeting, attended by senior officials representing the water sector in Jordan, Mulki said the centre is “a national accomplishment”, highlighting the scarcity of water in Jordan and the impact of crises on the region, which he said impose additional burdens on the water-management sector. 

The prime minister said the project is important to preserve water resources and detect violations.

The government is responsible for automating all institutions serving the public and ensuring service delivery in accordance with the best practices, Mulki said.

The prime minister noted that the centre was opened seven months after a directive by His Majesty King Abdullah to build it, which he said indicated “the seriousness and capability of the government to quickly deliver services which better serve citizens”. 

The government will continue working to secure water resources, Mulki said, adding that any violation against resources is an attack on the Kingdom’s future.

Moreover, the government is working to implement monitoring systems in other sectors, such as in health, energy, education and public works, he noted. 

For his part, Nasser said the control centre detects malfunctions immediately and identifies which measures to take. 

He said the centre will be connected to the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management and will provide technical data around-the-clock. 

The centre uses monitoring screens and supervises more than 50 strategic locations chosen and categorised according to the National Policies Council’s standards for water resources, using an early warning system, Nasser said, adding that over the next three years more highly-trained employees will be assigned to monitor all 450 key locations.