Rain challenges easily sorted: Civic bodies

Dubai/Sharjah/Ajman - Teams from the Dubai Municipality were equipped with the machineries to clear roads of surface water, sand and other wastes.

Precautionary measures were taken ahead of the inclement weather, hence, when heavy rains hit the country, flooding issues and other concerns were urgently addressed, said officials at the municipalities in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.
Teams from the Dubai Municipality were equipped with the machineries to clear roads of surface water, sand and other wastes.
Talib Julfar, CEO of the infrastructure services sector at the Dubai Municipality and team leader of Ghaith Dubai, said: "The city has 60 rainwater pumping stations within a 1.75-million-metre-long pipe network, with 28,000 inspection chambers and 72,000 drainage holes. All these lead to the sea or to Dubai Creek via 28 outlets.
"The rainwater drainage network in Dubai does its work normally, within its operational capacity, but if the rain is heavy, it will take a relatively longer time to drain water," added Julfar.
Salim Thabit Al Taraifi, director-general of the Sharjah Municipality, said they were all geared up for any incident that may happen  due to the unstable weather conditions.
"We have a plan that allows us to systematically solve rainwater accumulation issues on roads and squares. The municipality has three committes that are tasked to deal with weather conditions and rainfall;  address the complaints received on the hotline; and ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
"Since building sites usually  have temporary fences that are easily blown away due to strong winds, our staff members are currently inspecting construction sites to ensure that safety measures and regulations are followed," he added.
Hassan Al Tafaq, director of the  agriculture and environment department at the municipality, said they had also mapped out plans to reduce waterlogging, clean up manholes, and determine areas where surface water usually accumulates. "Last year, we identified 12 locations where huge volumes of surface water were noted. We linked them all to the drainage network to avoid the re-occurrence of the problem."
Abdurrahman Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director-General of the Ajman Municipality, said they prepared 65 pumping machines for the extraction of rainwater. "The department had developed a contingency plan under the guidance of Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department. The plans include the preparations needed to ensure that all pipes and openings  are cleared of any dirt for a smooth drainage process."
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com