Water measurers (Keyalin al-ma) are responsible for water sharing and distribution among the different owners through water channels up to the ksar (oasis) gardens from a remote catchment through a long network of underground corridors.
The Keyal al-ma, assisted by the hessab or accountant who keeps the books (zmam), is responsible for the sparing management of what is most needed for life in the desert: water.
He is involved in both manual and intellectual operations, carving in the rock ( tafeza) distributor combs (mechta or qasri) and determining water shares by means of the measuring instrument called siyara, kil al-asfar, hallafa or shegfa.
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Film documentaire de 10 min
