Published: 11 Jun 2024
Shura Council presents proposal to improve rainwater drainage network to avoid water accumulation
DOHA: The Shura Council has decided to submit a proposal to the government to find sustainable solutions to the problem of rainwater accumulation.
This came after extensive discussions the Shura Council held at its regular weekly session at Tamim bin Hamad Hall on Monday under the chairmanship of Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim.
The Council heard the report of the Services and the Public Utilities Committee regarding the rainwater drainage network and its findings after several meetings with representatives of the Public Works Authority.
The committee’s report pointed to a number of reasons for the accumulation of rainwater in some locations, including the blockage of the network or the failure of any part of it, and the lack of a rainwater drainage network in some areas since what has been accomplished of the network does not exceed 28 percent of the plan.
The report also indicated that the amounts of rain witnessed by the country sometimes exceed the design and carrying capacity of the network, which leads to accumulations of water during specific periods.
The Council members praised the findings of the report and noted the great development the country has witnessed in infrastructure, appreciating the great efforts made by Ashghal in this aspect.
Al Ghanim pointed out that the Shura Council is aware of what everyone has suffered from in recent years due to unprecedented amounts of rain and the losses it caused. He added that they seek to support the efforts of these entities to enhance and improve the infrastructure to confront the challenges of climate fluctuations and achieve safety and security for all citizens and residents.
The proposal outlined the Council’s views to address the problem, the most important of which is doubling rainwater withdrawal pumps and water withdrawal tanks, especially in areas where rainwater accumulates, such as tunnels, in addition to developing and activating the governance of procedures used to receive warnings and quickly taking action by all concerned parties, when weather conditions worsen to avoid any losses that may result from the accumulation of rainwater.
The proposal also included a call to review maintenance plans for infrastructure projects to ensure its effectiveness and to continue and accelerate the construction of water drainage networks in all parts of the country.
