Abdul Aziz Al-Rubaie
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
MAKKAH — Vendors at the used goods market in Muaisem district of Makkah have blamed the municipality for the big losses suffered by their businesses as a result of heavy rain. They said the municipality did not fulfill its promise to build a rainwater drainage system.
Investors in the market have warned that they would take legal action against the municipality for its negligence that cause them heavy financial losses every year. Most of the traders in the market are people of limited income or retired employees.
“The municipality was not showing any keenness to solve the problems of people living in the district,” said Mohammed Al-Otaibi, one of the affected traders.
“We have been suffering losses for the past several years as a result of damages caused by rain and the municipality did nothing to end this suffering,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.
He said the municipality’s failure to implement the rainwater drainage system has exacerbated the suffering of people and caused losses for investors and traders in the market.
“It’s surprising that the mayoralty keeps mum on the issue,” he added.
Saad Al-Hadli said the authorities understand the problems facing vendors at the market as rain destroys their goods. “But the municipality has not taken any measure to protect them from rain. It should find a lasting solution for this recurrent problem,” he added.
Al-Hadli said heavy rain sweeps away the gains made by the poor vendors through their hard work throughout the year. “The mayoralty should expedite measures to implement the rainwater drainage system.”
He said most of the vendors at the market are poor and elderly, who have to support big families with the meager profits they make from the market.
Khaled Saeed also spoke about the municipality’s lukewarm response to the issue.
“Any visitor can easily find out the damages caused by rain to the market, destroying goods of vendors,” he said, adding that vendors have decided to sue the municipality, because its inaction is the main reason for the losses suffered by them.
