The discovery of large quantities of sweet water in the Azaba Valley, south of the Dead Sea, was announced here today by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry is currently conducting an extensive water-drilling program in a wide area extending from the Biblical town of Sodom, south of the Dead Sea, to Elath, located on the southernmost tip of the Negev desert.
The Ministry further revoaled that it has been receiving encouraging reports from various drilling installations where sweet water has been found relatively close to the earth’s surface in quantities which raise strong hopes for large-scale agricultural settlement in regions which had hitherto been considered completely barren.
David Tubiyahu, Mayor of Beersheba, announced today construction plans for this southern desert town, including plans for rebuilding the ancient section here. The new city will be built according to the “neighborhood principle,” with nine boroughs each containing 5,000 inhabitants and having their own shopping centers, schools, theatres and public buildings. The population of Beersheba is at present 3,000 but it is expected to reach 10,000 by the end of this year.
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