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COUNCILLORS have demanded the immediate implementation of long-delayed projects in Arad, saying that persistent flooding and water accumulation continue to affect residents of Bahrain’s largest constituency.
Area councillor Ahmed Al Meghawi cited more than 20 pending requests related to stormwater drainage systems, some of which have remained unresolved since 2011.
According to a memorandum, presented during the Muharraq Municipal Council’s regular meeting yesterday, numerous requests for the installation of stormwater drainage inlets, road levelling and rainwater collection systems have yet to be implemented, despite repeated submissions through the Works Ministry’s official channels.
The affected locations include several roads and blocks in Arad – notably Blocks 240, 243, 244, 245, and 246 – where residents continue to face severe water accumulation during the monsoon.
Mr Al Meghawi
Mr Al Meghawi emphasised the urgency of addressing these long-standing issues, describing them as a “serious municipal concern that directly impacts citizens’ quality of life”.
“Some of these requests date back more than a decade,” he said.
“We have repeatedly raised them through the proper administrative and technical channels, yet the implementation has been delayed without clear justification. Residents continue to suffer every rainy season, and this is simply unacceptable.”
Among the most pressing cases highlighted in the report is the situation on Road 4501, Block 245, where flooding near House 118 has caused particular distress to a family with a special needs member. Despite surrounding roads being upgraded earlier this year, the affected road itself remains untreated.
The council’s services and public utilities committee, chaired by Abdulqader Al Sayed, supported the memo and echoed calls for urgent intervention by the Works Ministry.
“The council has made repeated recommendations for the installation of stormwater drainage systems across Arad, yet many of these projects remain pending,” he said.
“We urge the competent authorities to prioritise these works immediately, especially with the winter season approaching.”
Mr Al Sayed
Mr Al Sayed noted that the council’s technical and financial committees had already reviewed the related project files, confirming that the requests were valid, feasible and previously approved for scheduling.
The council called for expedited implementation of all outstanding drainage and road maintenance projects within Arad.
It also resolved to formally refer the matter to Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj for review.
Arad residents say repeated flooding damages property and obstructs movement during heavy rainfall.
“Our goal is to ensure that every Bahraini citizen enjoys safe and functional public infrastructure – and that no neighbourhood is left behind,” Mr Al Sayed pointed out.
Meanwhile, the council unanimously approved an inquiry into an incident in which a quiet neighbourhood in Samaheej has become the centre of a baffling phenomenon – and a growing crisis – as groundwater continues to bubble up beneath homes.
They are not sure whether they are sitting on a fresh water spring supply ready for bottling or leaky seawater responsible for cracking walls and damaging foundations.
Residents are both alarmed and intrigued over what began as an isolated complaint from a single house on Road 3472, Block 234 that has now revealed itself to be a much wider problem.
Across the block, residents have reported water seeping through floors and rising in their yards, sparking fears of long-term structural damage and, surprisingly, curiosity about what lies beneath their homes.
The request has been forwarded to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak for review.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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