MORE than BD100 million is being spent on schemes and projects to preserve Bahrain’s only protected water bay.
Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf said water circulation channels at Tubli Bay will be expanded while efforts will be made for eco-friendly disposal of treated sewage water.
The bay is rich with shrimp and rare birds and was declared a protected zone in 2006 after years of illegal land reclamation.
The bay’s size was originally 13.5km, but municipal officials said in 2017 that it had shrunk to around 9km as a result of unlicensed coastal development.
“The southern channel of the bay stretching up to 750 metres has been widened from 30m to 180m, which is six times the previous size, while it has been deepened up to two metres,” said Mr Khalaf.
“This was carried at a cost of around BD537,000 and completed in December last year.
“In the second project, the Ma’ameer water pathway (Alba Bridge) would be also expanded by an additional 120m to elongate flow at a cost of BD2.9m.
“Work is 33 per cent complete and we expect to fully complete it by the second quarter of 2022.”
The third project being carried out at a cost of BD2.64m under the Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Highway (Ma’ameer canal) would be completed by mid-2022 as work is 75pc complete.
“We are working to reduce the water circulation time from 110 hours to 74 hours under three projects whenever all are complete and connected,” said Mr Khalaf.
“The ministry is also working in co-ordination with the Supreme Council for the Environment on projects to ensure that the quality of disposed water from the Tubli Waterwater Treatment Plant is in line with environmental standards,” he added.
Mr Khalaf said the plant was also set to see many developments.
“We have expanded the Hybrid Activated Sludge system introduced in 2013 to treat 100,000 cubic metres of sewage daily by adding an 130,000cu m in 2021 at a cost of BD13m, which means we are now treating 230,000cu m daily.
“The plant capacity would reach 400,000cu m in 2023 with work on sludge treatment facilities complete by mid-2023 at a cost BD78m with 30pc of construction complete.
“The sludge drying factory within the bay would be completely revamped by November 2022 and would see 40 tonnes treated daily.”
He added that eventually treated water would be transferred to farmers to help with agriculture, besides other infrastructure uses.
Mr Khalaf was responding to a question by a Shura Council on plans to protect the bay.
“We want the bay to be rehabilitated, clean, maintained and preserved as the natural habitat it should be.
“Studies have been conducted on residues and gases in the bay and we are working to clear it while further studies will be available as the treatment plant improves work.
“Gulf City Cleaning Company clears the bay and its surroundings of garbage and building refuse dumped there twice or thrice a week, while large quantities of dumped debris are removed on an emergency basis.”
The minister added that the government was also keen to increase the space of mangroves in the bay by four-fold.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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