Sabria S. Jawhar in her article “Our vulnerable civic infrastructure” (Nov. 23) has effectively highlighted the civic problems in Jeddah. It is really sad to note that there is no proper drainage system in the city due to which rain always wreaks havoc on the civic infrastructure. Rain is supposed to be a blessing but for Jeddawis it usually becomes a nightmare. There is no paucity of funds. It is mainly due to rampant corruption that development projects are usually not on a par with international standards.

I do agree with the writer that laws should be enacted and enforced to ensure regular and proper maintenance of buildings. Owners of buildings don’t care about the safety of the tenants. They charge them exorbitantly in rents but they don’t discharge their responsibilities. There should be an authority to deal with these matters. Jeddah is an important city of the Kingdom. People from all across the world visit Jeddah, which makes it all the more important to ensure a flawless civic infrastructure.