Councils and ministries team up to strengthen drainage systems before rainy season

TDT | Manama

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Councils in Muharraq and the Northern Governorate say they are working with the Ministry of Works and municipal bodies to prepare drainage networks, pumps and response teams ahead of the rainy season, drawing on lessons from past flooding in residential areas.

Abdulaziz Al Na’aar, chairman of the Muharraq Municipal Council, said planning involved extended talks with undersecretaries and a clear split of tasks between ministries.

“We met with the undersecretaries of all the ministries, and the discussions went on for about a month,” he said. “The Ministry of Works gave us its full plan, as did the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs.”

Work

He said the Ministry of Works handles main roads while the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs covers internal streets and passages, with stormwater drainage a core part of the work.

The councillor added that many areas already have channels and networks in place, while some newly developed blocks are still being completed.

Al Na’aar pointed to a long-running issue in the Fourth constituency in Muharraq, where a blocked pipe that once carried rainwater to the sea led to repeated overflow into neighbourhoods.

“We had a big problem that lasted four years,” he said, adding that the cause was not identified for a long stretch. “Because of the blockage, rainwater would overflow into the neighbourhoods.”

Fault

He said engineers from the Ministry of Works, including Eisa Al Malloud, explained the fault and proposed a system of pumps linked to large tanks feeding a final tank that discharges to the sea.

Two pumps were installed, but he said last year’s flooding showed the need for close oversight of day-to-day operation.

“It turned out that the worker there was operating only one pump, not both,” he said. “I contacted the engineer to address the matter.”

He also described an on-site traffic problem near the pumping area, where rubber pipes buckled when vehicles passed over them on a rear lane.

Traffic

“I personally had to stop motorists with my car,” he said, adding that the Coast Guard opened the site and provided patrols to divert traffic until the area was emptied, after which the pumps were shut and normal movement resumed.

In Arad, he said drainage routes need yearly cleaning to remove silt and reduce the risk of blockages in grates and networks. After meeting the ministry three weeks ago, he said some sites have been cleaned while others are still awaiting work, with teams timing operations around weather forecasts.

“Things are good so far, with a few notes, but there is agreement,” he said.

Preparations

In the Northern Governorate, municipal councillor Zainab Al Durazi, representative of the Twelfth constituency and chair of the Services and Public Utilities Committee at the Northern Municipal Council, said preparations are being tracked through a unified plan with the Northern Municipality, the Ministry of Works and other service bodies.

She said a series of coordination meetings reviewed rainwater pooling sites across northern areas, set priorities and agreed a rapid response plan covering team readiness, equipment, suction tankers and pumps.

The councillor added that Ministry of Works teams have started expanded cleaning campaigns for stormwater networks and maintenance at critical points that saw pooling in previous years, alongside checks of drains in key locations.

Emergency

Al Durazi said the council and relevant bodies have put in place an emergency plan for the season, including dedicated numbers for public reports that will be published by service bodies.

She said the Twelfth constituency is receiving close follow-up due to the need to strengthen parts of its drainage network and improve flow at specific points before the season begins in full.