Dubai: Authorities swung into action to manage rain-related incidents after a heavy downpour caused flooding, traffic snarls and accidents in Dubai on Sunday.
The Dubai Police recorded 581 traffic accidents in the last 24 hours due to unstable weather, officials said on Sunday. Police said that 12,537 emergency calls were made during rainfall.
As a result of the downpour, many roads in Dubai were waterlogged, but the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said it rapidly handled the issue.
Rain causes traffic delays in Dubai
The RTA said that its emergency response team is setting flexible plans to immediately solve issues resulting from water pool and is working in coordination with other departments and developers to ensure the rapid response for any emergency.
The RTA said it worked with the Dubai Municipality to facilitate rainwater drainage efforts to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on the main roads. As for logistical preparations to deal with the current rainy season, the RTA has provided 15 engineers, 40 emergency inspectors, 15 tanker , 6 pumps placed in vital areas of Dubai, 14 emergency vehicles, 3 vehicles with warning lights, 3 cranes, 1500 extinguishers and 300 plastic barriers.
It added that a comprehensive preventive maintenance for all pumps and bridges across Dubai to ensure safe and smooth transport for all.
Motorists told to be cautious
Lieutenant Colonel Turki Abdul Rahman Bin Faris (right), director of Command and Control Unit at Dubai Police, urged motorists to be cautious on the roads while driving in rainy conditions.
“Motorists should always keep a safe distance between cars and adjust their speed to the weather conditions… allow extra time for your journey and check your planned route. It’s also advisable to slow down as rains make the roads slippery,” Lt Col Bin Faris said.
He added that most traffic accidents during bad weather conditions occur due to low visibility.
“People must check the weather condition before jumping behind the wheel and they should follow safety instructions and regulations to avoid accidents,” he said.
Shaikh Hamdan enjoys a rainy day drive in #Dubai
Lt Col Bin Faris also urged motorists to plan their journey and leave home earlier and also to check weather updates to avoid traffic accidents.
Dubai Safari closed
Dubai Municipality closed Dubai Safari while Dubai Police recorded 581 traffic accidents due to unstable weather.
Dubai Safari, which witnessed tens of thousands of visitors during the free entry period after its soft opening on December 12, will reopen when the weather stabilises, the civic body said in a press release.
The rain response began with troops of municipal workers getting deployed across the emirate.
Altogether, a couple of thousand employees working in different shifts at different departments had been keeping a vigil and managing the rain situation throughout the day, a senior official told Gulf News.
Taleb Julfar, assistant director general of Dubai Municipality for Environment and Public Health Services Sector, said officials had been following up the weather situation and were on standby to tackle the heavy rains expected.
“Since yesterday, everybody has been on their assigned location. We are following up with pump stations and water tankers. We are also coordinating with Dewa [Dubai Electricity and Water Authority] and others,” said Julfar, who is also the team leader of the Ghaith Dubai team that is in charge of rain management.
Hassan Makki, director of Sewage and Irrigation Network Department, said that more than 200 people including supervisory staff, technical staff and field personnel were inspecting and removing blockages on streets and making sure that all the water goes into the designated rainwater network.
“All our 110 pump stations are working and we have increased our capacity with some tankers to handle any overflow. Some movable pumps are also being used,” he said.
Reda Hassan Salman, director of Public Health and Safety Department and head of Emergency and Crises Team, said emergency preparedness plans had already been in place to meet rain-related incidents.
“All our emergency teams are on duty. They have been preparing by conducting drills earlier. So it is just a matter of activation and implementation of our plans.”
He urged residents to report only the major incidents related to rain to the municipality’s call centre 800900, which is active 24x7 to receive notifications and complaints from the public.
Traffic snarls
Motorists faced delays as internal streets as well as highways were flooded in several areas across the city forcing vehicles to slow down and creating traffic snarls.
The tailbacks were mostly caused by motorists trying to avoid flooded sections of the roads, converging on non-flooded tracks and creating bottlenecks.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) workers could be seen pumping out water from streets, while cordoning off many sections of streets.
Some motorists also had to contend with vehicle breakdowns, adding to the traffic snarls.
The RTA urged motorists to drive cautiously, and warned against speeding on wet roads.
With inputs from Shafaat Shahbandari, Staff Reporter
