Heavy rain : 180 houses damaged in the Kingdom

More than 180 houses were damaged in the heavy rains and flooding that wreaked havoc in the central and southern part of the island earlier this week, according to the Southern Governorate. The most affected areas were Al HAjiyat, Buhair, Bukawara, East Riffa, West Riffa, Isa Town and Hawrat Sanad.

A total of 25 tankers were deployed to handle rescue and cleaning operation in these areas. In the last three days, since the start of the rainy season, the municipality has received about 903 reports related to rainwater flooding, which were immediately resolved. What aggravated the situation, according to Southern Area Municipal Council Chairman Ahmed Al Ansari, was the faulty rainwater drainage networks there.

The issue, he told Tribune, keeps surfacing every rainy season, despite implementing several projects, in the past few years, to enhance the network. “More needed to be done, but lack of funding has constrained us, which couldn’t be passed,” he stressed. However, works are progressing as expected to create a rainwater drainage network in Al Hajiyat area, which will then be linked to the project on Istiqlal Highway, one of the most affected areas.

“These networks will be connected after finishing works along the Istiqlal Highway,” he said adding that the adverse climate has even taken the Meteorological department by surprise. “The situation, however, is now brought under control with the assistance of water suction tankers,” Al Ansari said. The counsellor confirmed that they have deployed 26 tankers and is also progressing fast with cleaning operations.