TANKERS and pumps were deployed to clear waterlogged roads as heavy rains lashed the country yesterday.
Emergency squads, equipped with more than 100 tankers, worked round-the-clock to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
The teams were personally led by Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj and Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak.
“This is the first time that roads and neighbourhoods are being cleared up even as rains continue to batter the island,” said Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah.
“People’s lives are not disrupted and traffic has not come to a standstill as most roads are being cleaned immediately, with almost no traces of puddles left,” he added. “Each area has its own tankers, but we are co-ordinating to move tankers to other governorates as well if needed.”
Unsettled weather is expected to continue throughout the week with chances of thunderstorms today. The Meteorological Directorate said that temperatures are expected to drop to 13C on Sunday and Monday. Gusts may reach 30 knots today, it added.
Mr Tarradah said municipal teams were on standby to clean up vital areas in case of flooding at night.
“Whether it is the Manama Central Market, the Old Manama Suq, or business and commercial districts alongside residential areas, every place is being cleaned up by teams to ensure normal life is not disrupted,” he added.
Meanwhile, Southern Municipal Council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif praised the efficiency of teams co-ordinating the work.
“We have 25 tankers for neighbourhoods and 10 for main roads in the Southern Governorate and quick action has ensured there are no water pools anywhere,” he said.
Pipelines have been installed to divert rainwater from the new Al Lawzi residential area to the nearby Al Lawzi Lake.
The Al Lawzi area had witnessed flooding in the past two years with hefty compensations being paid by the government to residents for damages to their furniture, electronic equipment and vehicles.
However, neighbouring residents in Karzakan claim leakages in the installed pipelines have resulted in their area getting flooded during rains.
Mr Al Hawaj inspected Al Lawzi area in Northern Governorate on Wednesday to ensure the effectiveness of solutions that have been implemented to prevent the accumulation of rainwater. He cited the expansion of an open water channel, adjacent to Street 30 leading to Al Lawzi Lake, to raise the absorptive capacity for rainwater drainage.
Mr Al Hawaj also conducted field tours across Bahrain and inspected the Wali Al Ahd, Al Quds, National Charter Highway, Umm Naasan and Zallaq Highways. He took stock of the emergency teams’ efforts to clear roads for traffic.
The Works Ministry has allocated a hotline, 17545544, to report rainwater concerns. The Information and eGovernment Authority has also urged people to report flooding through the ‘Fix2go’ feature on the Tawasul app.
Mr Al Hawaj stressed continued preparations to drain rainwater pools in neighbourhoods and interior areas and to respond to all inquiries and complaints, whether through the hotline or from various channels.
During the inspection tour, he was briefed on the mechanism for receiving reports and inquiries via the hotline and other channels, which are available in the four municipalities.
“We have 68 tanks working round the clock to remove rainwater, and they have been distributed across the four governorates,” he added.
Interior Ministry teams from the Civil Defence, traffic, community police and Public Security have also been deployed to tackle emergencies and streamline traffic flow.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))