Fujairah/Khor Fakkan: Multiple projects, which include lakes, dams and water channels, have been completed by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and some more are under way in the eastern region to solve problems caused by heavy rain.
Abdullah Mohammed Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Minster of Infrastructure Development, said in the last few years, areas like Sakamkam in Fujairah and many areas in Khor Fakkan were flooded causing inconvenience to the people.
The ministry built seven dams and seven lakes to collect water in Sakamkam “to protect people and public property in the area and make people happy”, he said on Thursday.
“Last year when it rained, we received many complaints of flooding and we responded to them, This year, we have not received any complaints,” the minister said. “The rain received so far this year was four times the average rainfall and this shows that our infrastructure has been able to withstand it,” he said.
The water collected in the lakes would be used to replenish groundwater level through channels that were approved by the government of Fujairah, so that it would not go waste.
Al Nuaimi said this after carrying out an inspection tour of the ministry’s infrastructure facilities in Fujairah and Khor Fakkan.
There are plans to build two more lakes in the Sakamkam area, as the existing three lakes were flooded in the past few days.
As part of the regular schedule, the ministry will also start maintenance works at 40 dams and water channels next month, which will be completed before the end of the year. This will include dams in the northern, central and eastern regions.
Other maintenance works to be carried out by the ministry include cleaning the lakes, mechanical valve recalibration of sensors and maintenance of electronic devices used for measuring water level.
Another problem area was Yabsa Truck Road in Fujairah, which passes between mountains. It witnessed rockfall that caused traffic problems, the Al Nuaimi said.
“The rockfall was minor, but to protect lives, we will be installing a protection system,” he said.
The minister also inspected the efficiency and safety of the 2km Al Qadisiyah water channels which are 83 per cent complete. Completed parts of the channel helped drain the run-off water during the recent rain in Khor Fakkan.
He also ordered that work on Khor Fakkan Western Ring Road, which is in the design phase, to be expedited. The 5.1km-long road is estimated to cost Dh150 million and construction is expected to begin later this year.
The road, which will allow motorists and especially trucks to bypass Khor Fakkan city and its inner traffic, is expected to take two years to complete.
The ring road will have two lanes in each direction, with a median island of concrete barriers. The project also includes channels to drain rainwater and reduce flooding in the neighbouring areas by 70 per cent.
New team for emergencies
Fujairah: The Ministry of Public Works has announced a plan to form a new team to help during rain-related emergencies.
The team will include engineers, technicians and inspectors from the ministry, in addition to volunteers from the public, all of whom will be trained to deal with issues arising during heavy rain.
They will undergo intense training, which will be in coordination with different authorities in the UAE, to be qualified to deal with such cases.
The plan was announced during a tour by Abdullah Mohammed Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Minster of Infrastructure Development, and other ministry officials to the areas affected by rain in the eastern region.
