Tubli Bay treatment plant expansion due by year-end

TDT | Manama

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Work is under way to expand wastewater treatment and improve water flow in Tubli Bay, the Minister of Oil and Environment, His Excellency Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, told Parliament yesterday, saying the problem is long-running and cannot be denied.

Answering a question from MP Khalid Buanaq about foul smells in the bay, H.E. Bin Daina said the government accepts there is an environmental problem and that dealing with it means looking back at how it built up over many years, rather than treating it as a new issue.

He told MPs the government is expanding a treatment plant to a capacity of up to 1,000 cubic metres, with completion expected by the end of this year.

Existing stations at the same site are also being upgraded using newer technology, he said. H.E. Bin Daina said he is following the file directly and that the Cabinet receives regular updates, including monthly reports, on marine conditions and water quality in Tubli Bay.

He said the government is taking responsibility and making decisions that match the scale of the task.

He pointed to steps taken to improve circulation, including widening and deepening the Ma’ameer channels, changes to the watercourse near Sabah Al Ahmed Highway, and new openings and channels to help water move through the bay.

H.E. Bin Daina said further work has included widening channels near Alba and dredging to widths reaching 300 metres, with planned depths aimed at improving currents.

The minister said the projects have cost the state millions of dinars and were carried out ‘for the health of residents’ and the long-term public interest.