Vehicles negotiating the rain-lashed Shamal-Doha road yesterday.(Salim Matramkot)
DOHA: Incessant rains yesterday partially paralysed life in the city and its outskirts as it led to traffic snarls, accidents and water-logging, especially in low-lying areas, as angered civic leaders called for proper drainage systems.
“We have asked the municipal ministry and the Public Works Authority to put proper drainage systems in place soon. Pumping out logged water during the rains is not a lasting solution,” said the chairman of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), Saud Al Hanzab.
Some vehicles skid and some met serious accidents when motorists tried to avoid water puddles on the roads caused by hours of rain. A Nissan Patrol hit an electricity pole and turned turtle on the Industrial Area Road late last night when the man behind the steering wheel apparently tried to avoid a water logged stretch.
An eye witness told this newspaper it appeared to be a serious accident as he could see a lot of blood on the spot of the mishap. There were traffic snarls as the police cordoned off the area.
The eye witness added he was surprised to see people driving in the same way as they did on normal days.
“One must drive carefully when it rains,” he said.
The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile, asked motorists using highways to avoid getting closer to heavy vehicles and not apply sudden brakes. “Maintain enough distance from the vehicle in front,” the Ministry said on the Twitter cautioning motorists.
The CMC severely criticised the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning for not being prepared for the emergency. “We witness rains every year and people face similar problems and the Ministry is caught off guard. This has become an annual ritual,” Al Hanzab told The Peninsula.
He said the problem was made worse because there are no proper drainage systems. “The thing is that the planned drainage systems are part of the overall infrastructure projects, so we have asked the ministry and Ashghal (the Public Works Authority) to hasten up the work.
“How long can you expect the civic authorities to resort to temporary measures like pumping out water from water-logged areas and roads during rains like this?,” he asked.
The CMC chief said there were many residential localities in low-lying areas so the plight of their residents could be very well imagined. Then, there were traffic jams due to water logging. “We hope to see an end to this problem, the sooner the better,” said Al Hanzab.
