Morocco Cracks Down on Illegal Water Wells Amid Resource Concerns

Complying with the instructions of the pachas and caids, the water police and the water basin agencies are conducting sweeping campaigns. Those who illegally appropriate water resources in Morocco by digging wells and boreholes in an anarchic manner without authorization will be severely sanctioned.

These campaigns follow the actions of well drillers who operate at night with the help of authority agents and officials. The most recent case occurred in the province of Taounate. Many residents and civil society associations have expressed their discontent and filed a complaint with the King’s Attorney General in Fez to request the intervention of the competent authorities to investigate the excesses in one of the communes of the province.

Thus, "dubious" permits had been granted for well drilling by a Syrian. He was able to dig dozens of wells, some as deep as 150 meters, in violation of the instructions issued to mobilize the authority agents to collect information on the wells and boreholes opened in their areas of competence. Yet several regions like Khlalfa are known for kif cultivation, which encourages some farmers to dig wells to obtain irrigation water.

According to data received by the Ministry of Equipment and Water, there are more than 400 violations in the field of illegal drilling, as well as 117 cases related to the collection of surface water.