Concern has been raised about the possible flood threat to the Prophet's Mosque in Madina because it lies on low ground, through which Wadi Bathan passes. The issue of the mosque's safety, and other buildings on Madina's valley routes, was raised in a recent meeting of the city's Municipal Council. The council questioned the mayoralty's ability to protect the mosque. It was stated that only an 11 meter-high sand dam currently redirects the course of Wadi Bathan to the Al-Aqiq area. Reports have been circulating for years that there was once a flood which swept through the areas of Anbariya and Sayh, close to the Prophet's Mosque. It is now expected that further studies will be undertaken by the authorities to determine the threat to one of Islam's holiest sites. The Prophet's Mosque is not the only building that could be vulnerable to possible floods because of its location. After lengthy discussions, the Council recommended the removal of 588 properties located in the courses of five valleys. Head of the Council, Dr. Salah Bin Sulaiman Al-Raddadi, said the Council had demanded the removal of real estate in the valleys of Qanat, Al-Aqiq, Bat'han, Al-Himd and Annaqmi. Al-Raddadi said a committee consisting of three members of the council and the mayoralty?s director of valleys administration, has been formed to study the Council?s recommendations to remove ‘obstacles' on flood routes and to conduct field visits to determine the extent of the problem. The committee will take into consideration studies and suggestions from the Ministry of Water and Civil Defense. Al-Raddadi said the meeting had also discussed a presentation of initiatives by the mayoralty on flood protection and rainwater drainage. The presentation had shown drainage projects in residential areas. This included the merging of small courses with larger ones and its link to natural drainage channels in Hamra Al-Asad, Al-Aziziya and Al-Bayda, according to Al-Raddadi. In the discussions, the Council had focused on the mayoralty?s study to redirect the direction of Wadi Bathan to Wadi Aqiq, through the building of a sand dam 600 meters long, 11 meters high and with an 80 meter base. This would include a pool, to be built in front of the old dam. There would be a redirection of the waters of other areas, until it pours into Wadi Al-Aqiq, generating power of 11,300 megawatts. In response to concerns over the building of houses in flood-threatened areas, Undersecretary of Madina Mayoralty for Projects and Construction, Tariq Deyooli, said the mayoralty had not issued permits for the construction of residential buildings on valley and flood routes. “The mayoralty has examined a number of locations through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to avoid granting permits of residential [buildings] near to valleys,” he said. However, Madina resident Owayed Al-Ruhayli said the historical valleys all pour into the central or surrounding areas of the city. “These valleys have been turned into residential [areas] like Aljurf, Orwa and Hamra Al-Asad, where the mayoralty had permitted construction,” he said. Another resident, Muhammad Isa Al-Ahmadi, said the construction of the road cutting through Al-Harra Al-Gharbiya ? the Western Harra - on the western side of the Prophet?s Mosque, had increased the hazard. This is because the Harra had been a shield protecting the central zone and mosque against floods.
