Tunisia: Water stored in dams down 16.9% from average of last three years

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Water stored in dams amounted to 839.815 million cubic metres (m3) on April 12, down 16.9% from the average of the last three years (1, 010.755 million m3), it emerges from a report on the situation of dams released Saturday by the National Observatory of Agriculture (French: ONAGRI).

The deficit is estimated at 170.940 million m3. The fill rate reached on this same date 36.3% with dams of the north feeding water at a rate of 43.7%.

The dam of Bouhertma reported the highest fill rate (64%) with 71.378 million m3, followed by the dams of Sidi El Barrak (47%) with 133.470 million m3 and Sidi Salem (41%) with 240.143 million m3. This in addition to the dams of Sejnene (31%) with 41.204 million m3, Bir Mcherga (29%) with 12.030 million m3, Joumine (27%) with 32.298 million m3, Siliana (23%) with 7.055 million m3 and Sidi Saâd (20%) with 27.273 million m3.

The lowest fill rates were reported for the dams of Mellègue (17%) with 8.671 million m3 and Nebhana (4%) with 2.568 million m3.

The fill rate in small dams exceeded 90% in Barbara (98.7%) and Zarga (94.5%) and was beyond the 70% mark in the dams of Moula (78.9%) and Gamgoum (76.2%).

Water supply in dams in the current season stood at 605. 610 million m3 down from an average of 1, 556.576 million m3 (- 950.966 million m3).

Total water storage in Lake Ichkeul until April 12 amounted to 1.187 million m3 against 0.261 million m3 on the same sate last year.