Toshka is TOPs
Egypt's project to cultivate a part of the south-eastern desert is a source of national pride on many counts, argues Ali El-Samman*
Last week I had the privilege of visiting Toshka where I toured several important parts of the project. At the site, I looked at the same land that for many centuries was considered barren and saw how the will and efforts of humanbeings can bring it to life and produce healthy, organic crops. When I sampled the organic crops growing on the farms there, they were like nothing I had ever tasted before, leading me to suggest that they be marketed abroad under the name Toshka Organic Production -- "TOP" for short. Those very crops will provide European markets with produce one month ahead of season.
At Toshka, I also saw a new kind of Egyptian citizen. It is hard to believe that the thousands of workers, technicians, engineers and supervisors working there come from among the ranks of the average Egyptians that you might meet on the street in the city. The Toshka resident believes in his work, gives his best according to a clear and organised plan, puts his patriotism at the service of the project and wants to live in Toshka once it is completed.
I would like to present a few facts and figures to the uninformed critics of the project. Prince Walid Bin Talal will invest almost $500 million in land reclamation, which will proceed at an average pace of 30,000 or 40,000 feddans per year until 2010. The Egyptian Land Reclamation and Development Company will develop around 200,000 feddans, while private sector companies in Egypt and from Libya, South Africa and Australia are also participating in the project. The 72- kilometre Sheikh Zayed Canal has been completely dug and lined, and the groundwork has been laid for the bridges and barrages. Meanwhile, work continues on the various branches of the Zayed Canal, and the Mubarak water pumping station on site is the largest concrete construction in the world.
The project's detractors, who claim that it has reduced the country's liquidity are mistaken: over the duration of the project, which began in October 1997, the Ministry of Irrigation saw its budget increase from LE2 billion to LE2.7 billion. During the first year, however, only LE1 billion of the ministry's entire budget went to Toshka and its contribution to the endeavour has decreased over time; this year it is contributing LE350 million. All in all, the ministry has invested LE4 billion in the initiative. At the same time, the Toshka land reclamation project has created 150,000 job opportunities.
When the water first flowed through the man-made water arteries at Toshka, I believe it was as momentous a day as that when the Suez Canal was inaugurated. A comparison is often made between the magnitude of the Suez Canal and that of the Toshka project. While the former was built by slave labour to serve the interests of a foreign occupier, the latter is being built with pride and high wages for the prosperity of the Egyptian citizen and future generations.
* The writer is a Paris-based Egyptian lawyer.
