SAUDI ARABIA

Wadi Al-Sail residents upset at lack of basic municipal services

October 31, 2017
The township of Wadi Al-Sail Al-Saghir is significant as it is located on the highway to Makkah and a large number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims pass by this place. It also links the Kingdom’s southeast with its west. More than 3,000 people are living in this valley. — Okaz photo
The township of Wadi Al-Sail Al-Saghir is significant as it is located on the highway to Makkah and a large number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims pass by this place. It also links the Kingdom’s southeast with its west. More than 3,000 people are living in this valley. — Okaz photo

By Badr Al-Quthami

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

TAIF – People living in the eastern districts of Wadi Al-Sail Al-Saghir in the north of Taif have called upon authorities to take immediate measures to provide them with basic facilities including asphalted roads, street lights and a health center.

The township of Wadi Al-Sail Al-Saghir is significant as it is located on the highway to Makkah and a large number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims pass by this place. It also links the Kingdom’s southeast with its west. More than 3,000 people are living in this valley.

Raja Al-Otaibi said the residents of Wadi Al-Sail had urged authorities to asphalt their roads. “So far we have not received any positive response from Taif Municipality. Sandy roads in the area spread dust and cause pulmonary diseases such as asthma,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

One of the roads leads to the graveyard and mourners often find it difficult to reach the place to bury their dead, Al-Otaibi said. Swamps on these roads have become breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, he added.

Residents called upon the traffic safety committee to visit the dangerous inter-junction in the district and take necessary measures to prevent potential road crashes.

Faisal Al-Otaibi raised another issue facing the district. “We don’t have street lights. The whole area falls into utter darkness after sunset. Children are afraid of going out after Maghreb (sunset) to purchase household necessities,” he explained.

Even after 40 years after its establishment, the district lacks a good health center to provide free healthcare services to citizens and residents.

Faisal Musfir said Wadi Al-Sail also lacked playgrounds for children and parks for people to spend their weekends and holidays with their families. The inter-junction in the area required safety boards to avoid accidents, especially when the busy road is used by a large number of motorists and pilgrims.

Mutlaq Al-Otaibi highlighted the issue of primary and secondary education of their children. “We don’t have schools and our children have to cross the highway to reach their present schools, endangering their lives,” he pointed out.

Naif Al-Saeedi spoke about frequent power outages in the district causing untold problems for its people and urged the Saudi Electricity Company to find a permanent solution for this problem. Saud Al-Quthami agreed with Al-Saeedi and said: “We suffer a lot because of recurrent power cuts.”

Musaed Al-Harthi accused the municipality of exercising sheer negligence toward Wadi Al-Sail. “We also suffer from the accumulation of garbage along the streets that spreads nasty smell and produce disease-carrying mosquitoes and flies,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Ismail Ibrahim, spokesman of Taif Municipality, refuted the residents’ allegations and said his organization was giving due attention and care toward Wadi Al-Sail. “We have already deployed a team to asphalt the roads in the district. We’ll send two more teams to support them.”

He said the municipality is also installing street lights in the Wadi. Mayor Mohammed Al-Humail recently inspected the district to know its development requirements, Ibrahim told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.


October 31, 2017
HIGHLIGHTS
SAUDI ARABIA
43 minutes ago

Crown Prince meets regional Emirs in Jeddah

SAUDI ARABIA
52 minutes ago

Saudi Arabia is guest of honor at Beijing International Book Fair

SAUDI ARABIA
13 hours ago

Saudi Arabia chosen to chair UN Committee on the Status of Women in 2025