The
Environmental Protection Ministry will invest an additional NIS 8 million
toward rehabilitating polluted rivers and streams throughout the country,
the office announced on Wednesday morning.
This latest budget will supplement
already existing ministry investments in this area, which amount to a total of
NIS 170m. and have allowed for the rehabilitation of heavily polluted waterways
such as the Alexander River, the Yarkon River, the Taninim Stream, the Shikma
Stream, the Tabor Stream and others.
In addition to this NIS 170m. dedicated to
various rivers and streams throughout the country, approximately NIS 220m. has
gone into the ongoing rehabilitation of the Kishon River, while another NIS
300m. has gone into that of the Beersheba River and the transformation of its
environs into a metropolitan park, according to the ministry.
"Along with the restoration work carried out
already in the Kishon and the Yarkon, we have expanded the river rehabilitation
to streams in the periphery and are cleaning up rivers that have been
contaminated for decades, returning them to the public as recreation and leisure
hubs for the whole family," said Environmental Protection Minister Gilad
Erdan.
The rehabilitation projects, which should attract domestic tourism
and catalyze further economic initiatives, should be completed within three
years, according to the ministry.