Is Oman's biggest dam in danger?

Muscat : Omani authorities have denied rumours that the country’s biggest dam, Wadi Diygha Dam, is in imminent danger due to the heavy rain that lashed the country last week.

Wadi Diqha Dam has stored 98 million cubic metres of water and its capacity is estimated at 100 million cubic metres, according to an official at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resource.

The official expected that the dam will be filled to capacity in the coming days, as more rain is expected to lash the country on Wednesday.

The official stressed that the dam is designed as per international standards, reassuring that there is no cause for concern.

He said a team of experts is working around-the-clock and sending updates to the authorities.

“Any surplus water will spill over the dam and will benefit the residents of the areas nearby to irrigate their farms,”, he said.

The dam, which is located in Qurayat province, was opened in 2012 as a major water reservoir in the country, and provides water for many provinces in Sharqiyah and Muscat governorates.

The dam is a major tourist destination in the country as more than 16,815 persons visited the dam last weekend.

Seven were killed and ten were injured in the heavy rain that lashed the country last week, according to Omani authorities.