Residents of Malihat Al-Murawaha in Mahayial Asir are concerned that their village could be flooded by rising groundwater resulting from the building of the Wadi Hali Dam. “Our homes run alongside the reserve basin, and measures need to be taken to ensure that they are safe,” said one of the village's 300 residents, who occupy 51 houses. “They have already evacuated 109 homes in villages to the east of Hali town which is right next to us.” The construction of the soon-to-be-completed dam began six years ago, and villagers say that government officials have previously warned them of the dangers of remaining in the village. “We have no objections to the dam project itself, but we are extremely concerned about what might happen in times of heavy rains and flooding,” another villager said. A Civil Defense official said that the Emir of Makkah Khaled Al-Faisal had ordered the dam's drainage channels to remain open until all necessary measures to ensure the safety of villages in the vicinity of the dam had been completed. “The proximity of the village to the dam's storage basin constitutes a potential threat to its population,” said local municipality chief Hazzam Bin Judai'. “The Asir mayoralty will have no objections to providing another residential district for villagers to ensure their safety.”
