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Merge 104.8 | 03 June 2020
The rains have stopped in Dhofar Governorate, but massive repair and clean-up efforts by authorities are now beginning after a tropical low-pressure system ravaged the region with high winds, flooding, and 100-200 mm of daily rainfall since Friday [May 29].
One of the heaviest deluges to inundate the governorate since 2018’s Cyclone Mekunu, the weather front saw extensive flooding and damages to roads, vehicles, and property. Search and rescue efforts in Dhofar saw over 140 people rescued, and three fatalities recorded after two people were swept away by floodwaters in wadis and another fatally injured after a building collapsed from heavy downpours in Salalah.
Officials from Dhofar Municipality have confirmed that clean-up and recovery efforts are now underway with crews deployed to help clear roads from fallen debris, conduct drainages and restore water supply services, and re-open roads.
As per the Municipality, here’s what’s been achieved thus far in recovery efforts:
— Efforts are ongoing in the Dhalkut area to clear potholes and remove stones and debris strewn by the rains from roads in residential areas.
— Municipal cleaning works are taking place in Rakhyut to remove fallen boulders and stones from the roads. The road leading to the western part of the city is now re-opened, while the eastern road will be re-open once the floodwaters have receded.
— Roadworks are underway to clear streets of rocks and fallen debris in Alsan, Hajif, and on the Salalah-Thumrait highway.
— Dhofar’s mayor and members of the Shura Council are conducting field inspections to areas that have sustained extensive damage — including those where roads have collapsed or been washed away by heavy rains. The delegation is assessing all damages in order to determine appropriate action.
— Municipal officials are assisting people in the governorate to help drain floodwater from their homes and are setting up safety barriers around those areas where it is not safe for construction crews to dig.
— Drainage efforts are underway to reduce the water level in the streets of Salalah.
— Field surveys are being conducted to help determine where service outages have been affected throughout the governorate — including electricity, fibre-optic lines, and sewage blocks.
(Also read: Oman: RAFO carries out medical evacuations, rescue operations in Dhofar.)
