The governor, who heads a committee to study and follow up on the execution of projects designed to protect Jeddah from calamities related to floods, said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has granted the committee wide ranging powers, including setting up new committees and action teams with the help of international experts in flood management. He told Saudi Channel One on Friday night that the initial task of the committee is to undertake a thorough study into the key factors that led to the Jan. 26 flood and to identify neighborhoods vulnerable to floods.
“Some committees are currently assessing the losses in terms of lives and belongings in order to distribute fair compensation among the victims at the earliest,” the governor said, emphasizing that all orders issued by the king, Minister of Defense and Aviation Crown Prince Sultan and Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif would be implemented diligently and scrupulously.
“The subcommittee will appoint an international consultancy firm to study the issue of drainage of flood and rainwater, review the infrastructure and deal with the problems of unplanned and underdeveloped districts as well as completion of the remaining sewage projects in Jeddah,” the governor said.
The governor also spoke about the Jeddah floods in Nov. 25, 2009 adding that the final report of the fact-finding committee appointed after that calamity was submitted to the king. The governor said many major development projects have been implemented recently, “but this does not rule out the presence of many delayed projects. Some of the reasons for the delays are justifiable and others unjustifiable,” the governor said.
He added that the lack of a drainage network in 90 percent of the municipality is a major factor that caused the floods. He also said the construction of dams to avert floods should have been undertaken months ago.
The governor thanked King Abdullah, Prince Sultan and Prince Naif for their concern about the flood victims and issuing orders to do everything to help the victims and repair the damage, besides taking steps to avoid the repeat of such calamities.
