Rain is supposed to be a blessing but for Jeddawis it generally turns into a nightmare. Tuesday’s heavy rains and the resultant chaos brought back the memories of 2009 Jeddah floods. Most of the city’s neighborhoods and underpasses looked like giant swimming pools. The ongoing construction works across the metropolitan further compounded the problem by hindering smooth flow of traffic on various streets.

The civic infrastructure of Jeddah needs to be studied thoroughly and immediate measures should be taken to address problems like sewerage network and storm-water drains. Secondly, contractors working on development projects should be made to complete the work on time. Strict rules should be introduced and enforced in the construction sector so as to ensure best quality.

Inam Shadab

Jeddah