Flood fears from overflowing dams

JEDDAH: Many people living close to dams in the country are fearful that the current rainy weather will cause them to overflow, resulting in loss of lives and damage to property.

There have already been reports of several such incidents across the country, at some of the country’s 525 dams, according to a report in a local publication on Thursday.
Earlier this year, dams in Baha flooded causing damage to property and public infrastructure. This included the Al-Khara, Al-Sader, Medhas, Tharaq, Ma’ashouqa, Al-Malad and Al-Dhahian dams.
Also this year, Wadi Besh Dam overflowed and flooded several farms, fields, roads and a number of surrounding villages, with the authorities having to rescue trapped individuals, the report stated.
There have been similar incidents in the past. In 2010, Halli Dam overflowed causing the displacement of 71 residents and the evacuation of nine villages. In 2013, the rising water levels in Thrad Dam in Baha resulted in significant floods in the region.
According to reports, the accumulation of sediment has contributed to rising water levels in several dams. Their structures have also been weakened by earthquakes.
Hamzah Qanaie, an engineer and former director general of the Jazan water department, said studies on the amount of rainfall likely to fall should be conducted before dams are built.
“We should at least estimate the largest expected amount of rainfall in a day, a month, and a year. With this information, one can then design and construct dams,” he said.
He said most dams in the Kingdom are in good condition because they were constructed recently, only a few were old. “Some of the dams were built for protection while others for agricultural reasons.”
“I wonder why the supervising authorities did not take into account water levels during the rainy season and how it would infrastructure and operations. We must consider ways to absorb rainfall now and in the future to prevent disasters,” he said.
Ali Al-Qassimi, spokesman for the water directorate in Asir, said there were 110 dams in the region, all designed to hold water in accordance with the appropriate technical standards.
He said maintenance is conducted periodically including for the King Fahd Dam in Bisha. “The current amount of water in the dam is 118 million cubic meters. There is no cause for alarm because the dam can hold 325 million cubic meters,” he said.
Mohammad Al-Oudaid, director general of the Baha water department, said there are 52 dams in the region with a capacity of 144.5 million cubic meters of water. “There are government committees to monitor the dams and make sure no one builds unapproved structures or buildings in surrounding areas.”