Egypt’s Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry has told field teams to check a number of bridges that cross canals and drains over the country. This comes after members of parliament raised concerns about how these structures are holding up.
Minister Hani Sewilam responded to the concerns during meetings with MPs Ahmed El-Sengidy, Gamal El-Far Mohamed El-Shweikh, Hamada Soliman and Mostafa Mezireq.
According to a statement, from the ministry he ordered officials to go on-site and assess the condition of every bridge. The goal is to decide whether each bridge needs maintenance or repairs or should be completely replaced.
In addition a specific agricultural drain that lawmakers pointed out was also given the order to be inspected. Officials will look at it closely to figure out what kind of cleaning work is needed to keep water flowing.
Beyond the bridges, the meeting covered several other infrastructure and land-use matters raised by the parliamentarians.
Proposals to cover sections of canals and drains were discussed, though Sewilam stressed that any such work must first pass a technical assessment confirming it won’t compromise the networks’ capacity to carry and drain water efficiently.
The minister also addressed the ongoing problem of waste being dumped into waterways, calling for closer coordination between his ministry, Parliament, and other relevant authorities to curb the practice and safeguard both water quality and the operational efficiency of Egypt’s canal and drainage system.
Separately, officials reviewed proposals to repurpose some ministry-owned land for public service projects, with the ministry noting that such requests would be evaluated against existing regulations and its broader asset management strategy.
Sewilam framed the engagement as part of a wider effort to strengthen ties between the ministry and Parliament, saying regular coordination helps authorities identify local water and infrastructure issues faster — though he noted that any proposed fix must still meet technical and legal standards before moving forward. Egypt Journal
