All rain and floodwater drainage projects executed over the past few years across the Kingdom will be reviewed by a team from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs following the Jeddah flood disaster. The team has been tasked with investigating the quality of projects against contract standards and their capacity to accommodate flood and rainwater. Municipalities across the Kingdom have been notified of scheduled team visits. The ministry has also requested municipalities to provide them with progress reports on their water drainage projects and to hold off licensing developed land located in dry riverbeds and near mountains. Only developed land protected against flood dangers will be licensed, the ministry has informed its municipalities. The assistance of international houses of expertise will be sought to provide a second opinion on developed land before building permits are given out, said an official source at the ministry. Drainage projects on developed land will be carefully scrutinized, the source added. The source admitted that municipal budget allocations failed to sufficiently fund drainage projects. “Drainage projects had never been at the top of municipal priorities, but that will all change.”Drainage projects will be given priority now in order to save lives. International houses of expertise will help study the topography of developed land and determine flood routes and their sources, as well as all buildings, farmhouses, cemetries, wells, roads, power and phone underground networks, and sewage water drainage projects, the source said. This will add to the safety and integrity of developed land. All owners of developed land failing to establish effective water drainage networks will be fined and, in turn, the ministry will assign a contractor to complete drainage projects at the owner's expense. The ministry has a list of contractors with a history of violations due to incompetence or irresponsibility in sticking to drainage project contract schedules. The ministry is expected to sign contracts for water drainage projects worth SR2 billion in 2010, the source added.
