JEDDAH, 25 April — Jeddah Mayor Abdullah Al-Muallami has said the municipality is working hard to address the city’s chronic problems but cautioned that no magic solution lies ahead for such pressing issues as the lack of efficient drainage system to deal with torrential rain, a growing pollution threat caused by contaminated sewage water, and traffic congestion on the city’s chaotic streets.
He added that all the projects designed to solve these problems need money and appealed to the business community to join hands with government in an effort to improve the city image and turn it into a better place for its residents and visitors.
Al-Muallami outlined his plan for Jeddah at a meeting with members of the local business community organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The municipality has drawn up a 10-year strategy to develop the city that calls for, among other things, expanding the existing sewage system. Experts say it covers only 10 percent of the city and serves less than one third of its population of 2.6 million. Also planned is the construction of new flyovers and tunnels to ease traffic; the implementation of stringent environmental and public safety measures; developing the city’s historic Al-Balad district into a tourist hub; developing the Corniche area; creating more green space; and getting rid of red tape.
Al-Muallami told Arab News the first major step to easing traffic will see light in a few days with the creation of a tunnel and a large roundabout at the junction of King Fahd (Sitteen) and Wali Al-Ahd streets. Other contracts are being initiated with the Ministry of Communications to expand the expressway leading to Makkah to the east and the airport to the north by adding a fourth lane to accommodate the heavy traffic.
The municipality is also studying eight other proposals to reduce traffic congestion in various parts of the city. They include the construction of tunnels and bridges on Madinah Road and Tahliah Street.
The new bridges and flyovers are part of a major project planned by the municipality to reorganize 44 old and undeveloped districts of the city.
Regarding the question of sewage, he said that Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed has recently signed SR700 million contracts for the expansion of the network.
Experts have warned of a looming environmental disaster in Jeddah, saying the city is sitting on a toxic puddle of its own making. Jeddah is sitting atop a lake with 80 million cubic meters of contaminated sewage water.
Every day, 700,000 cubic meters of sewage is discharged into the city underground storage tanks and only 50,000 cubic meters is carried on trucks and pumped into a large lake outside the city.
When asked if there is any definitive date for the drainage and sewage disposal projects to be completed, the mayor said he could not give a fixed time but expressed his hope that the projects would be completed soon.
The businessmen raised a host of issues which they said needed to be addressed urgently by the municipality. These include allocating land for more private colleges, because in Jeddah 25 percent of students attend private schools (against seven percent for other cities).
Others want to see “discipline and safety returned to the city streets”, especially the Corniche — a picnic site turned into a race track by youths joy riding, and dumping place by those too lazy to take their garbage to nearby refuse collection points.
Al-Muallami said with the help of the city traders, who donated cash and gear, they will soon start operating joint patrols along the Corniche involving the police, social workers and teams of young volunteers to deal with violations involving motorists, beggars, petty traders and those who litter the place.
