BAHRAIN is fully prepared for the onset of rains with contingency plans laid out to tackle possible emergencies, flooding and water-logging in the Northern Governorate.
Permanent and temporary solutions were discussed yesterday as 573 locations were shortlisted as ‘flood-prone’ in the Northern Governorate.
It accounts for 27 per cent of the 2,123 areas prone to floods and water-logging across Bahrain.
Meanwhile, a total of 200 complaints (out of 556) linked to rains were received by the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry from January 1, 2019 until September 8, 2021.
The details were revealed during a key meeting organised by the Northern Municipal Council.
Representatives from the ministries of Interior, Health, Housing, and Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, the Civil Defence and the Electricity and Water Authority as well as the Northern Municipality took part.
“We have identified locations where water gathers during the rainy season. We have allocated adequate man-power and equipment, in addition to a specialised task force, for each governorate,” said road planning and designing director Maha Hamada.
“More than 30 contractors in addition to 240 personnel will be deployed across various locations to deal with emergencies, if any, and they will be working on round-the-clock shifts.
“We have 101 tankers and 114 pumps in addition to generators on site. A hi-tech Geographic Information System (GIS) has been developed by the ministry to locate water-logged areas.”
According to Ms Hamada, 56,000 man-holes are cleaned annually with 1,800 holding tanks and 70 pumping stations maintained on a regular basis.
More than 15km of open channels and 850km of network are also powerwashed to remove grime and debris and ensure smooth flow.
“There are preliminary and precautionary solutions and then there are permanent strategies and massive budgets are needed for these projects,” she added.
“We have two different systems, a sanitary network in which we don’t empty rainwater because we may use it for irrigation and agriculture, and the rainwater drainage system.”
Meanwhile, Public Health Directorate public health specialist Mustafa Bakheet said the Health Ministry was fully prepared for the upcoming season. “We face challenges with stagnant water,” he said.
“Insects and mosquitoes gather in swamps but we are fully prepared with teams undertaking field visits to identify key locations as part of a proactive plan.”
Meanwhile, the Housing Ministry, the Civil Defence and the General Traffic Directorate have pledged full support and co-operation in case of emergencies.
Council chairman Ahmed Al Kooheji also stressed the importance of conserving rainwater and utilising it for agriculture and irrigation to avert water scarcity in the future.
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