CAIRO: Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hossam Moghazy stated Saturday that Nile river stream returned to its normal course after it had been diverted at the tributary of the Blue Nile for the construction of Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The tributary was temporarily diverted in May 2013 for the construction of controversial Ethiopian dam, Hossam added in a statement, noting that water flow has returned to its normal course to flow through four underground tunnels of the dam.
“However, that does not mean technically any quantity of water has been stored in front of the dam,” Moghazy continued.
Ethiopia has started to build its project on the Blue Nile in 2011; Egypt fears the dam, which will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant, will negatively affect its share of Nile water, although Ethiopia said it is necessary for its development.
Ethiopia and two other downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) have conducting tripartitie and six-part meetings to reach final agreement governs the results of the technical studies related to the impact of the dam on the Nile basin countries.
Foreign and Irrigation ministers from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia will a hold a six-party meeting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum Sunday and Monday for talks on the dam.