Residents are venting their anger at city officials as the death toll from last week's flood rises to 107, with 1,400 people having to be rescued. “They didn't make the drainage work. They have told us for three years or more that it was completed,” said human rights lawyer Walid Abu Al-Kheir. A city official has responded by saying that they are waiting for funds to complete the drainage network. Only 30 percent of the city is protected with proper drainage. Eng. Ibrahim Kutubkhanah, deputy mayor of Jeddah, said that the network in the flood-damaged areas, east of the city, would need at least SR1.2 billion worth of projects to fix. Following our grilling of the mayor yesterday, we now ask for further answers from Kutubkhanah, in this exclusive interview. Q: What has caused this catastrophe? A: First of all, everyone should understand that what happened last Wednesday was not just rain, it was flash floods coming from Wadi Fatmah through Bahra. It happens once every 100 years. It was difficult to deal with such a magnitude of water, [even by] international standards. Even if there had been a [proper] floodwater drainage network, it would have failed to contain the damage. Q: But the fact of the matter is that there was no drainage network at all in these flood-damaged poor neighborhoods? A: The whole city needs an integrated floodwater drainage network. Only 30 percent of the city has proper drainage, which does not accommodate more than one inch of rainfall as opposed to Wednesday's three inches of rainfall. It was so powerful, it swept away vehicles and some houses and submerged most of the streets in less than three hours. No city in the world would have been able to face this much rainfall at once. Q: I am sorry but you have not answered my question and the public would not accept [your explanation]. A: I am not here to justify any failure. What happened was really disturbing and the government is extremely concerned now. There are committees investigating this issue and a detailed report will be released. We are waiting for the outcome of the report. As [I am] in a position of public responsibility, I am providing you answers with numbers. We need solutions to root out the problem and we have conducted carefully-designed studies to help avert the dangers of floods, rains, or sewage. Q: But what's the use of studies if they are not executed on the ground? A: Funds. For the studies to be executed, funds are needed. We have completed all our studies, and as you know, the government provides a lot of funds to the city of Jeddah. There are floodwater drainage network projects worth SR1 billion that still need three more years to be completed. The floodwater drainage network has been a top priority for the Jeddah Mayoralty. It is incredible that this city [does not yet have] a full drainage system. The Mayoralty allocated last year 19 percent (or SR294 million) of its state budget for projects to avert the dangers of flash floods and rain. [This is] in addition to 37 ongoing drainage projects. Q: The floodwater flowed into the whole city, but the damage in southern districts was much more than that in the northern districts. [This is] where water network officials live. What is happening here? A: That's not true. Most of the northern districts don't have drainage networks. They just happen to be a little higher that the southern districts. Southern districts are located on dry river beds. There is no discrimination in allocating projects to either part of the city. It is just a matter of priority. A month ago, we hired a consultancy firm to provide us with [information on] the most vulnerable [parts of] the city that need immediate attention. Q: But what had you done for the poor districts before they were hit by the floods Wednesday? A: We always expected the problems to [come from] these districts. Our studies show that these districts need SR1.2 billion worth of drainage projects. Without this, the problem will remain. Q: But why didn't you speak out about this problem before? A: Who said we didn't? We have requested more funds from the authorities concerned. The city needs very urgent funds of SR3.5 billion to provide drainage networks. In total, we need SR7 billion to have a state-of-the-art drainage system in the city. Q: The Minister of Transport has talked of sand barriers to direct flash floods right [away from] the city. A: In fact, there are no sand barriers except the one around Misk Lake. The problem is that eastern flood-hit districts are built in dry river beds, increasing the risk of being submerged. Most of the houses were built with no land titles or municipal permission; they were constructed at night. The catastrophe [was waiting to happen]. Q: But it happened and the death toll is increasing every day [It is at 106 dead now]. Did you realize the risk to these districts? A: We sounded a warning many times, that we have 53 unplanned districts that need immediate attention. And Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Emir of Makkah, has taken up this development project. Q: Did you at the mayoralty hold an emergency meeting after the disaster? A: Sure. And we have learned lessons and have urged current drainage projects to be completed faster than [planned]. It is the rainy season and we are looking for more solutions. In the past, we thought about a big dam but it was unfeasible. The flood comes from Wadi Fatmah through Bahra and the floodwater has to be [sent] into the sea. Two things must be done: an integrated drainage network and the removal of districts in dry river beds.
