Storm drain cleaning campaign on track in bid to tackle flood-like situation in Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, in collaboration with ‘CleanUp’ Bahrain and a number of individuals has launched a campaign to clean the opening channels of storm drains in Hamad Town and Al Lawzi Area.

The campaign aims to clear garbage buildup, accumulation of wastes and plant weeds that could block the opening channels of storm drains, which could lead to floods.

“These blocks reduce the capacity to drain water, necessitating regular cleaning and maintenance of these cyclic channels,” the ministry said.

The ministries conduct cleaning campaigns all year long in anticipation of the rainy season. People have been urged not to throw any kind of waste into open channels of storm water drains.

Lamia Al Fadala, Director General of Northern Regional Municipality, stated that the “ministry supports community initiatives that aim at larger public welfare. We will be supporting any initiatives that aim to improve the culture of collaborative work and the environment.”

Ali Mohammed Al Qaseer, founding member and chairman of the Clean Up Association Bahrain, stated, “We seek to clean to enhance community participation in preserving the environment and we are focused on cleaning sewage canals. Volunteers are doing a great job by joining this campaign.”

The campaign follows floods disrupting normal life in many areas across the Kingdom during the monsoon season last year. Last year, many residential areas were rendered inaccessible after heavy overnight rains for several hours, resulting in flash flooding across several roadways and low-lying areas in the Kingdom, causing traffic chaos and hardship for commuters.

People struggled to leave their homes in some areas due to high water. Workers from the Ministry of Works, Municipal Affairs, and Urban Planning had to take immediate action and the workers pumped water from flooded areas using suction tankers.

Every year, the Ministry of Works along with other ministries and municipal councils take precautionary measures to tackle flood-like situations in the Kingdom although the Kingdom doesn’t experience a lengthy monsoon season.

Preparatory meetings are frequently held by ministry officials and training is held for teams to carry out “water draining operations” across streets in case of impending emergencies. Such measures have helped the residents in many flood-prone areas to overcome tough situations caused by heavy downpours.