JEDDAH: A sewage pipeline contractor, who was assigned to connect more than 7,000 homes in the capital city, disappeared leaving residents of many neighborhoods disappointed.
According to a report carried by Al-Riyadh newspaper yesterday, some citizens and residents in the city have been waiting for sewage connections for more than two years.
The paper said the company that won the contract to provide the sewage connections throughout Riyadh had failed to fulfill its commitment.
“Work on the main sewage network in Rouda district was completed about five years ago. But no one has received connections so far,” one citizen told the Arabic-language daily.
The paper said the contractor stopped work about a year ago after connecting 600 homes.
Khaled Al-Anqari said he approached the Water Department many times in the last two and a half years for a connection. “I am tired of going to this office because they are not helpful. They give various excuses to turn me away,” Al-Anqari said.
The department is now talking about signing a contract with another company to complete the work. “Who will compensate me for my efforts and the material loss caused by this negligence,” he said.
Mohammed Al-Dahami, another citizen who resides in Rouda, said the district was built more than 40 years ago but still lacks sewage service.
Al-Riyadh said the delay in implementing the sewage project has created an environment problem for the city.
Abdullah Al-Sumaih said he was not given a convincing answer by the authorities for the delay. “Nobody is giving us an exact date when we’ll get connections,” he said.
Nasser Al-Owaid, a resident of King Fahd district, said the National Water Company (NWC) was blaming contractors for the delay.
“Blaming each other will not solve the problem. We need solid action,” he said.
Citizens have urged the company to impose fines on the contractor who fled without fulfilling his commitment.
Meanwhile, residents in several eastern and western districts of Riyadh have complained about acute water shortages in their neighborhoods and have called on the water company to act quickly to resolve the crisis.
