Old photos of the Zarqa River, the days of purity

ArabiaWeather.com - The Zarqa River is considered one of the longest permanent watercourses in Jordan, and it is the second largest tributary of the Jordan River after the Yarmouk River.

The age of the river dates back to approximately 27 million years, and this is evident through the deep valley formed by the river’s waters between the heights of Jerash and Ajloun on the one hand, and the heights of Balqa on the other, where the edges of the deep valley are visible from satellite images taken from space.

A picture of the river from the beginning of the 20th century during the Ottoman rule. The picture was originally uncolored, but some effects were added to it to make its colors look close to reality.

The river is now in a tragic state and suffers from pollution, as its water is so black that it is difficult to use water except for agricultural purposes.

During the last 30 years, the Zarqa River has been subjected to massive attacks by many authorities, factories, and sewage outlets that have diverted its water into waste, without any serious monitoring.

An old photo believed to be of a swimming competition in water collected from the river in the 1960s

We, as an entity interested in environmental affairs, call on all concerned parties in Jordan to stand up on the state of the river, work to restore the state of the water to its old glory, and make better use of its water, especially with regard to the possibility of considering it as part of the solutions to Jordan's difficult water future.