Syria's Authorities Urge Precaution As Euphrates River Levels Rise

DAMASCUS, May 25 (Bernama-SANA) -- Syria’s Early Warning and Preparedness Department at the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management has renewed its warning to residents living along the banks of the Euphrates River over rising water levels caused by increased inflow into the river, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the department said water discharge levels had increased from 500 to 800 cubic metres per second, with flows expected to rise further to 1,000 cubic metres per second by Sunday evening.

As a result, river levels are projected to exceed their normal height by more than two metres.

Authorities urged residents near the river to evacuate nearby temporary structures and remove irrigation pumping equipment used for agricultural lands.

The statement also called for extreme caution when using dirt bridges, advising against crossing them during periods of high water levels.

Residents were further warned to suspend the use of boats and river ferries until water levels return to normal, and to avoid swimming in the river entirely during this period to prevent drowning incidents.

The General Organisation of the Euphrates Dam announced on Saturday that water releases through the Qadiran Dam had been increased from 500 to approximately 800 cubic metres per second after reservoir storage levels surpassed 97 per cent capacity.

The increase follows significantly higher rainfall levels recorded across northern and eastern Syria this season compared with previous years, contributing to improved water reserves.

-- BERNAMA-SANA