Wednesday 12 / March / 2025
Muscat: Urgent action should be taken to find a lasting solution to the problem of flash floods, which emerges every time it rains in Muscat, a member of the Municipal Council of the Governorate of Muscat said, echoing the concerns of residents in affected areas.
Ali Al Maashari, member of the Municipal Council representing Al Amerat, said there is a strategy in place to avoid flooding in Muscat, but not enough funds are available to implement it.
“The funds directed at the Municipality are not sufficient to implement all of the plans to construct drainage facilities for wadis (valleys). Since Muscat has no overlapping system of drainage, we call on the government to provide enough funds,” he said.
Al Maashari explained that the strategy included the building of dams in sensitive areas, three of which have already been built; one in Al Amerat, one in Quriyat and one in Al Khoudh. However, about 20 more dams are planned.
“The cost of this strategy is very high and not enough funds are available to the municipality, although the construction of dams is the responsibility of the Ministry of Water Resources,” he pointed out.
Another part of the strategy is constructing drainage channels in severely affected areas, such as Al Ghubra North.
“They have started working there, but it will take several years to complete and for residents to see the results,” he said.
Al Maashari called for urgent action. “The Municipal Council urges the government and Muscat Municipality to speed up the implementation of the plan to construct drainage channels in the areas that are always affected by the flooding of wadis, as well as to construct a sewage system. There will be great risk in the future if the water is not directed,” he said.
Residents of Al Ghubra North have also complained on social media about the delay in finding a solution to this problem.
“The thing is that there is no strategy to solve the problem, such as a special committee to protect those affected and finding solutions,” a Twitter user said.
Another user said Oman should learn from other countries where a lot of rain is common. “Why don’t we learn from other countries? There are countries that receive rain, such as this throughout the year,” he added. “We really want urgent action to be taken to solve the problem of flooding in Al Ghubra,” someone else said.
Meanwhile, the Muscat Municipality is recounting its efforts to confront the problem of flooding, without elaborating on any wider plan.
An official from the Muscat Municipality told the Times of Oman that the Municipality had received around 150 reports of disturbance caused by the flooding during the past few days, including overflowing of water channels, collapse of trees, electricity cuts, and holes and cracks in the ground.
“The Municipality immediately took action in these cases,” he said.
According to a press release issued by the Muscat Municipality, it has intensified efforts to deal with the flooding of streets and overflowing drainage channels. It has also constructed water drainage channels along the main roads and in central areas to absorb large quantities of water.
Technical teams have started cleaning drainage channels and removing dirt from the streets.
The press release reported that Mohsin bin Mohammed Al Sheikh, chairman of Muscat Municipality, has instructed all directorates and departments of the municipality to be “fully prepared to confront the consequences of the rain, avoiding any harm to inhabitants and private and public property.”
He had also visited a number of affected wilayats within Muscat on Thursday, including Al Ghubra and Al Amerat.
“That’s only for the image and not to find solutions. Every year, we have to face these problems and we don’t see any solutions,” a resident complained.
The Muscat Municipality has urged every citizen to be extra careful during unstable weather conditions.
“People should refrain from venturing out into the water, driving in flash floods and speeding. They should also be extra careful in mountainous areas and near lamp posts,” the official said.
