Muscat – As part of its efforts to preserve water resources, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) is restoring 26 aflaj that were affected by Cyclone Shaheen.

An official at MAFWR said, “The ministry’s teams have begun work on a complete survey of the aflaj which were affected by Cyclone Shaheen in Dhahirah governorate.

“Specialists are restoring 22 aflaj, costing RO155,000. Of the total, 17 aflaj have been completed and work is in progress on the others.”

Fourteen aflaj were damaged by Cyclone Shaheen in the wilayat of Ibri, five in Yanqul and three in Dhank.

The ministry is also restoring four aflaj affected by Shaheen in the wilayat of Rustaq in South Batinah at a coast of RO37,000. One of these has been completed and work is in progress on the remaining.

The restoration project aims to support the water sector in the sultanate and help farmers irrigate their land. Aflaj are considered one of the major traditional water sources on which Omanis have depended for ages for irrigation. Aflaj types vary according to the geology and hydrology of the area. There are 4,112 aflaj spread across Oman.