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 sesert : water.

He is involved in both manual and intellectual operations carving in the rock (tafeza) distributor combs (mechtaor qasri) and determining water shares by means of the measuring instrument called siyara, kil al-asfar,hallafa or shegfa.

Read presentation of l’UNESCO
https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/knowledge-and-skills-of-the-water-measurers-of-the-foggaras-or-water-bailiffs-of-touat-and-tidikelt-01274?USL=01274

Watch video here