JEDDAH, 27 October 2007 — The second phase of the SR4 billion high-tech Jamrat Bridge project will be completed on Nov. 25, well before the start of this year’s Haj, said Dr. Habeeb Zainul Abideen, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs.
Speaking to Al-Madinah Arabic daily, Zainul Abideen said three one-way roads from the bridge would reduce congestion in the area and ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims when they leave Jamrat after performing the stoning ritual.
During last year’s Haj, pilgrims used the high-tech structure in Mina for the first time. The first phase increased the bridge’s capacity to 250,000 pilgrims an hour. It also brought about a qualitative change in public safety measures and helped pilgrims perform the stoning ritual without any reported accidents.
Zainul Abideen said the second level of the bridge, which will be ready this year, would receive pilgrims coming from the Makkah side after performing tawaf al-ifada — the obligatory circumambulation of the Kaaba in Haj. “The second level will have two entrances; the southern entrance is for pilgrims coming from Aziziya and the northern one for pilgrims coming from Adel, Shisha and the Pedestrian Road,” he added.
Zainul Abideen said the new system would ensure the smooth flow of pilgrims in Mina while coming to and from the Jamrat. He said the three new one-way roads that will help transport 150,000 to 200,000 pilgrims per hour, which are linked to the second floor of the bridge, would reduce pressure on the ground floor and the first floor.
Haj security forces last year introduced a special plan to help 1.25 million pilgrims complete the stoning ritual in five hours. Authorities deployed a 9,000-man special force in Mina to regulate the movement of pilgrims to Jamrat. The forces took control of all streets leading to the Jamrat in order to organize pilgrim movement.
In a related development, Haj Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy announced a considerable drop in the number of pilgrims who overstay in the Kingdom after performing Umrah during Ramadan. Yesterday, Shawwal 15, was the last day for Umrah pilgrims to leave the Kingdom.
He estimated the total number of overstayers this year at 72,000 compared to more than 150,000 last year. He added that the Ministry of Haj had taken a number of measures this Umrah season to cut down the number of overstayers.
“There was considerable improvement in Umrah services this year compared to previous years,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, a study conducted by Dr. Raja Al-Sharief of the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, called upon authorities to make attendance of pilgrims in awareness programs mandatory to receive Haj visas. Raja said pilgrims must be taught how to avoid overcrowding before their arrival to the holy sites. “Such awareness programs will be held especially in countries, which account for the largest number of pilgrims that have died or injured in stampedes during Haj,” she said.
Raja insisted that conducting Haj awareness programs should be made mandatory on all countries. “Such programs should also be conducted for domestic pilgrims,” she said.
Raja urged the authorities to prepare comprehensive awareness programs that cover the religious, health, safety, organizational and behavioral aspects of Haj.
