Despite the fact that it is floating over the second largest water basin in the West Bank the village of Bardala located in the northern Jordan Valley is thirsty because of the policies of the Israeli occupation which deprives the village of its water basin for the benefit of Jewish-only settlements.
On Sunday the town witnessed a major incursion by the Israeli engineering units accompanied by army patrols. These units closed three main lines providing the village with water. The occupation authorities claimed that these lines were built without the knowledge of the occupation authorities.
Destruction of crops
Palestinian farmer Younis Sawafta told the PIC reporter that the claims of the occupation are invalid and this water is extracted from the well of the town.
“I own acres of mallow and corn and cutting water off means the destruction of my crops and the loss of family living for months. Every year they do the same thing” he said. “Water is ours we die of thirst our homes are without water our animals and our lands are thirsty and they are drinking and enjoying what is ours” he noted.
Farmer Mohamed Sawafta who is planting guava confirms that this is the first year the village is planting this plant that is sensitive to water cuts which will affect the amount of produce or even cause the death of trees and the whole town cannot survive with water cuts.
Water theft
The town of Bardala has the second largest water basin in the West Bank after Jerusalem producing 2500 cups per hour. Dirar Sawafta a member of the village council points out that the Israeli occupation is stealing the water of the village and giving its villagers a very limited amount of it.
He explained to the PIC reporter that “there are 19 lines that distribute water to the village of Bardala all of which do not exceed 500 cups per hour serving 5000 citizens in the town of Bardala while the remaining 2000 cups of water are distributed to 600 Jewish settlers around the town of Bardala.
He stressed that what the occupation authorities have been practicing for years is a policy of forced displacement against the people of the town of Bardala. The occupation forces are cutting off water and reducing its quantity to citizens which is not enough to plant more than two dunums of land.
The town of Bardala is famous for its botanical and animal livestock. Ibrahim Sawafta president of the Bardala Association for Livestock told the PIC: “The Bardala area has 10000 dunums of agricultural land 5000 sheep heads 10000 Turkeys and about 150000 chickens. The Israeli decision will affect the livestock” noting that this livestock is in a dire need of water as the town is located in the Jordan Valley with temperature in summer reaching more than 45 degrees. Water is a major source for us if it is gone life will be gone too.”
“The Israelis know the value of the northern Jordan Valley because it is the food basket of Palestine due to the fertility of land and abundance of water. The occupation seeks to expel us from our land for the interest of expanding its settlements at the expense of our water and lands” said Sawafta.
He added: “The northern Jordan Valley suffers from big negligence on the part of Palestinian officials. We want an adequate amount of water to run our lives and work. If we are left alone the occupation will destroy us along with our produce.”
Swafta underlined “We will not leave our land if we have to eat dirt and there must be a serious position by all concerned officials in support of the village’s inhabitants and the inhabitants of the Jordan Valley as a whole in the face of the Israeli death machine.”
