FATIMA MUHAMMAD
SAUDI GAZETTE
JEDDAH — Jeddah municipality announced on Wednesday that it has finalized its three-stage plan to combat disasters caused by floods.
The goal is to remove rainwater from main areas within six hours after it has rained, said deputy mayor for services and the head of rain and flood committee Ahmad Mahnabi.
It will take 24 hours to clear water from main roads and 48 hours from side roads, he said, adding that the plan also includes removing waste after the rainfall.
The municipality has deputed 1,600 workers with 512 equipment to serve 14 different areas.
The rain and flood plan has three different stages:
The first starts before the rainfall. It includes collaborating with the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment to get weather report.
This step also includes monitoring the city which has been divided into seven areas and also follow up with contractors to ensure all equipment are working and that the rain drainage system is effective.
The second step starts when it rains. It requires a direct supervision of the head of the committee to ensure all members of the committee are on the ground.
The teams are also required to write reports to be submitted to Jeddah mayor.
The third step starts when rain stops. Supervisors of different locations allow cleaning contractors to start cleaning main areas with special focus on areas that have schools, mosques and hospitals. The teams are also required to write a report on the affected locations.
