MAKKAH, 23 April 2006 — Makkah is being transformed as the mountains that surround it are being demolished to make way for massive construction projects.

Some mountains are demolished to create residential areas; others are destroyed to construct roadways. Authorities maintain that the projects are carefully planned, but some area residents are seeing their walls crack while others fear that their homes may be destroyed as the mountainsides come tumbling down.

Arab News traveled to some of the construction sites to take a look at the transforming landscape and find out what the potential dangers are and what precautions are being taken to protect the property of existing homeowners. The first thing we saw was that some older buildings near construction projects are at great risk.

Another hazard we noticed was that even after the rock is blasted away, in some areas, such as the Aziziyah district and Umm Al-Qura Street, there is little consideration given to ensuring that loose debris fields stay put and do not become potentially deadly landslides months or years after the work is done.

“What I’ve noticed is that many of the mountains have been left without any treatment after they were leveled,” said Makkah resident Muhammad Jastaneeh. “No safety measures were applied to prevent rock slides on roads or houses below.”

“We see a direct danger to both properties and lives around the mountains that undergo the demolition,” said Adel Al-Jubali, who lives in one such area. “We all remember the famous incident when large pieces of rock fell on a girls’ school from a nearby mountain — simply because safety measures weren’t taken. The girls were lucky to have avoided a disaster that could have claimed the lives of many students.”

Ali Al-Masmoum of the Engineering Department at Umm Al-Qura University said such construction projects are problems only when conducted improperly.

“As for the homes close to the mountains, if a leveling operation or partial destruction is carried out without applying safety standards, then it will definitely cause walls to crack and impart serious damage to the house itself,” said Al-Masmoum. “This can also cause the ground to crack. When using explosives to remove part of the mountain, both sides of the mountain need to be covered in order to prevent rock slides.”

Nizar Al-Himsi, an engineer, said that each project should be carefully evaluated before carrying it out. If a mountain demolition could endanger a nearby residential area, engineering specialists should be called in to resolve the potential hazards. He said dangerous rocks should be removed by experienced workers or by using high-pressure water to remove dirt and hazardous rock during the project.

“When there is rain, rocks and mud will be carried down by water stream,” Al-Himsi said. “This could cause the front of the mountain to weaken. It could collapse at any moment and result in serious property damage and possibly loss of lives.”

Building officials say the projects are carefully monitored.

Adel Zamzami, Makkah’s Civil Department manager, said all projects are approved by the Makkah Development Authority before they begin. He said that all safety regulations are applied to these projects and studied by a team of geologists before approval and that the Fire Department carries out inspection trips to project sites to ensure safety measures are applied.

Some residents remain unconvinced.

“Many roads get blocked by rock falls after a hard rain,” said resident Fares Al-Shareef. “Water streams down and carries rocks to the bottom of the mountain. This only happens because project managers neglect safety standards and fail to put up barriers to prevent rock slides.”

Are all the safety measures adequate? We will know after the next round of heavy rains. Until then, many residents will remain convinced that they are between a rock and a hard place.