WAJH – People of Al-Rass, 20 km east of Wajh, have urged authorities to provide their township with basic infrastructure facilities and services including schools, colleges, electricity, health services and drinking water networks. They have expressed their concern that environment pollution caused by disrupted development projects would spread infectious and chest diseases among its population. "Al-Rass people are forced to take their patients to the public hospital in Wajh as the small clinic in their locality does not have enough doctors and medical facilities," said Saud Salman Al-Huwaiti. "It will be easy to tell what we have rather than what we do not have," Al-Huwaiti told Okaz/Saudi Gazette while highlighting Al-Rass' development requirements. He stressed the need to strengthen the electricity power generators in the township to prevent recurrent outages. "At present we face power cuts three to four times weekly and every power cut lasts for three to four hours," he pointed out. Al-Huwaiti urged authorities to asphalt the township's streets. "Unpaved roads spread dust and causes asthma and other chest diseases," he added. Other public demands include strengthening of telecommunications facilities and establishment of a sports ground, a secondary school and recreation facilities for youth and families. Sulaiman Hamad Al-Huwaiti emphasized the need to set up more street lights to remove frightening darkness after sunset. "We also need a secondary school so that our children need not travel long distances to attend schools in nearby cities," he explained. He urged the Ministry of Health to provide the township's clinic with dentists, gynecologists and pediatricians. "At present we have only one general physician," he added. Ibrahim Salman Al-Huwaiti expressed his anguish over authorities' negligence toward Al-Rass and said the township lacks the basic developmental requirements. He urged authorities to remove the sheep and poultry farm located in the middle of the town saying it was spreading a nasty odor and polluting the atmosphere. "We have been calling for its removal but nobody listened to us," he said. Abdullah Saleem Al-Jowhari, an expert on finding underground water, said the area selected by the contracting company to set up a desalination plant was not suitable. "Ten years ago when they selected this place for the plant, we told them that it would not save the purpose." He said the company could not supply water from the plant until today. "About five years ago, a water network project was launched and until this day the project remains in the form of digging works that endanger lives of children and the elderly," he added. Okaz/Saudi Gazette contacted government department officials to find out the reason for the delay in implementing development projects in Al-Rass. Ahmed Al-Kaabana, health supervisor in Wajh, said the clinic in Al-Rass does not require more than one doctor because of its proximity to Wajh. The clinic has two male and two female nurses, he added. Mohammed Bin Rasheed Al-Huwaiti, transport in charge at the Education Department in Tabuk, said his organization was ready to provide transport for Al-Rass students intending to study at secondary schools in nearby cities, provided there should be at least 10 students. Abdul Majeed Al-Fowzan, spokesman of the water department in Tabuk, said the new water network and water tanks are designed to meet water requirements of 26 villages in Wajh principality. "The project is facing some obstacles and we are trying to remove them," he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Speaking about the mini desalination plant with a capacity of 200 cubic meters, he said it would be operated by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC). Hussein Al-Qahtani, spokesman of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, said it was the Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry's responsibility to tackle the city's environment problem. Ahmed Refada, manager of public relations at Wajh Municipality, said asphalt works on Al-Rass roads were progressing well. "Measures have been taken to drive away sheep from the enclosure in the middle of the township," he said while replying to another question.
