MAKKAH, 13 January 2008 — Though rain is a great blessing from God, when it comes to Makkah it turns out a disaster. People in the holy city and surrounding villages are afraid of rains because of the unpleasant consequences.
The heavy downpours that hit Makkah on Friday morning caused a lot of problems as a result of the poor drainage system in the city, especially in areas such as Um Al-Joud, Haj Street, Sanaeyya, Shuhada and the Ring Road.
Citizens blamed the municipality for the losses and difficulties they suffered due to the rains. Government officials said the only solution to the problem was to quickly implement drainage projects.
Mohammed Omar, a Saudi engineer, pointed out that the government allocates large amounts of money for municipal projects. “It is the duty of municipalities to carry out new projects for the welfare and safety of citizens and residents,” he said.
“Everyone of us loves to have rains but as a result of poor infrastructure facilities in Makkah many people consider rains as a nightmare which brings death and destruction,” Omar said and urged the municipal council to intervene.
Abdullah Yahya, a government employee who lives in Jarwal, which is one of the old Makkah districts, called for quick implementation of drainage projects in the area, where many people have drowned in the past as a result of torrential rains. “The municipal council should take up this matter and call for punitive action against negligent officials,” he told Arab News.
Hatem Zaini, a teacher, had another important issue to raise: electrocution caused by floods. He said electricity cables remain exposed in many parts of the city. “A few years ago, some people passing by such exposed cables in the Bisha district got electrocuted,” Zaini said.
He said the municipal council had not taken any action to solve the problem.
Mudhi Saad, who works in the service sector, blamed the municipality’s negligence for the problem. He urged the municipal council to press the municipality to carry out the drainage project quickly.
Col. Jameel Al-Arbaeen, director of Civil Defense in Makkah, emphasized his department’s efforts in carrying out rescue operations during rains. He urged motorists not to drive through flooded areas as it would endanger their lives. “We have always informed concerned authorities the need for implementing drainage systems, especially in Haj Street, Um Al-Joud and the Ring Road area,” he said.
Col. Ahmed Al-Otaibi, director of police in Makkah, also stressed the need for setting up a drainage system to remove rainwater that obstructs traffic in many parts of the city.
Dr. Faisal Al-Sharief, deputy chairman of the Makkah Municipal Council, said the body had set up a technical team to study the situation. “We will look into reports in the aftermath of the last rainfall to have a wider understanding of the problem.”
Al-Sharief said the municipality was carrying out sewage projects in phases, adding that implementation of the project would take time. He said the council would press for giving priority to the sewage project, adding that its implementation would take at least five years.
