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JEDDAH: Even light rain brings great inconvenience to the residents of many areas in Jeddah, which emphasizes the need to pay an immediate attention to related infrastructure, a top municipal official has said.
“Although the rain was below average recently, the internal streets in most neighborhoods were flooded with water, restricting the movement of people,” Municipal Council President Abdel Majeed Al-Batati told a local daily.
Whenever it rains, the condition of the infrastructure comes to the fore, he said, adding that the situation in areas like Al-Asalah neighborhood demands urgent intervention.
“Drainage lines connecting the flood water discharge project are urgently needed in this area,” he said.
Al-Batati said a permanent solution to the flooding of streets in low-lying areas of the city is needed. “A step will be taken to conduct a study of these areas and draw up a plan in cooperation with the Secretariat.”
He said the Secretariat should not rely on any new plan without taking the rain drainage network into consideration.
“We should not be content with simply pumping water out from the streets and other areas. We need to find a permanent solution to the problem in the interest of citizens.”
Samir Bahkle, a resident of Al-Asalah, was quoted as saying that he used bulldozers to get out of his residence due to the rainwater. “Many people from the neighborhood could not leave their homes without using heavy tools.”
Bakhle said three cars were damaged due to the rain, which turned the streets into lakes. “People get caught in their homes whenever it rains. The neighborhood turns into a huge lake. The authorities concerned should address the issue and find a permanent solution to the problem.