Residents of Al-Fahalin are demanding a radical solution that protects them from the danger of the Negev Valley

Residents in the 20-person residential area of ​​Ras Al-Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah, with a population of 20,000, suffer from the damage of their homes and farms and the death of their livestock as a result of the flooding of the Negev valley over the residential area, after the course of the valley changed after some residents built their homes in the course of the valley, This caused the valley to run towards the citizens ’homes and cause them to be damaged.

Citizens demanded that the competent authorities put in place rapid and radical solutions to reduce the frequency of flooding of the Negev Valley over the region on an annual basis. The residential area must work quickly to complete the storage pit of rain water to alleviate the course of the valley, and to avoid repeating the damage to their homes and farms annually during the winter season.

The works of the Public Services Department in Ras Al Khaimah began two months ago in the implementation of a storage pit project for rain water with an area of ​​100 thousand square meters and a depth of 20 meters, and absorb two million cubic meters of rain water in Wadi Naqab in order to find a solution to the valley's flooding of the population, by collecting water the valley.

The local emergency and crisis management team in Ras Al Khaimah evacuated 120 families whose homes were affected by torrential rains, streams of wadis and torrents in Al-Fahalin area, and efforts are still being made to deal with reports submitted by the people of the Ras Al Khaimah Police Operations Room as a result of being affected by the flow of wadis.

The Commander in Chief of Ras Al Khaimah Police, head of the local Emergency and Crisis Management team in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Major General Ali Abdullah bin Alwan Al Nuaimi, directed the formation of a committee to examine and limit the damages.

The citizen Rashid Al-Naqbi said that more than 20 sub-wadi streams flow into the Negev Valley of the President and that the Wadi Khalo is one of the most prominent, which makes the Negev Valley one of the strongest valleys in Ras Al Khaimah and the most dangerous.

He explained that although Wadi Naqab is five kilometers away from the residential area of ​​Al-Fahalin, its path has changed due to residents building their homes in its course, which led to its direction towards the residential area of ​​Al-Fahalin, and damaged houses in popular areas.

He added that there is no unified stream of the Negev Valley, as it overflows the houses from several directions due to the confluence of water with the houses located in its course, which leads to a strong branching and flooding of water on residential areas, indicating that the valley's water is currently flooding all residential districts in the region Stallions.

Khaled Al-Naqbi indicated that their homes and farms were damaged and their livestock died due to the flooding of the Wadi Negev stream over their residential area, which caused them to incur heavy financial losses. He continued that the measures taken by the competent authorities during the past years were not sufficient in front of the flowing power and water of the valley.

He pointed out that appropriate solutions should be developed to avoid the recurrence of floods and damage to the homes of residents, including changing the course of the valley, placing dams and expanding rainwater drainage pipes.

He added that returning to the homes at the present time has become difficult because of the unprecedented amounts of rain that fell on the Al-Fahalin area and the flooding of the Negev Valley on residential areas to reach the valley's water on the Saqr park and completely submerged it with water.

The citizen, Rashid Khamseen, pointed out that changing and canceling the shelters (branches) that were branching from the course of Wadi Naqab, led to the flooding of the valley on the homes of citizens in the Al-Fahalin area.

He pointed out that 10 years ago, the valley had four districts, in which the waters of the valley were distributed towards the farms.

He explained that the activity of some farms changed and transformed into industrial and commercial areas, and that some people built in the course of the valleys, causing the diversion of the course of the sub-valleys into the course of the Negev Valley and loading the valley over its absorptive capacity, which led to its flooding of houses.

He added that the solution should be to branch the Negev Valley to other areas, remove the houses that were built in the course of the valley, and accelerate the completion of the storage hole and divert the course of the valley from the beginning of Wadi Khilo, as it is the main downstream of the Negev Valley.

For his part, the Executive Director of the Works Establishment, Eng. Ahmed Al-Sayed Ban, told «Emirates Today» that the Foundation has completed 12% of the storage pit for rainwater harvesting and the Negev Valley, and that the project is expected to be completed after three months.

He explained that the storage pit is being established in the mouth of Wadi Naqab starting from the descending of rain water and its flow to Wadi Naqab and Wadi Khilo, and he continued that the goal of establishing the hole is to collect the water of the valley that comes from Wadi Khilo before it reaches Wadi al-Fahalin and the surrounding residential areas.

Ras Al Khaimah Police meet families to discuss the development of the course of valleys

Yesterday, the Public Works Department affiliated to the Public Services Department in Ras Al-Khaimah opened a temporary road in Wadi Al-Bayh to cross the road and residents of the areas adjacent to the valley, following its collapse as a result of heavy rains and Wadi Al-Bayh flowing and cutting the road in front of vehicles.

A team from Ras Al-Khaimah Police met a number of the people affected by the rain in the residential area of ​​Al-Fahlin, Wadi Naqab and Wadi Al-Bayh, and listened to the observations and ideas of developing the course of the valleys without affecting the residential areas, and also inspected the roads affected by rain and torrential rain.

The team reviewed the work of the patrols to secure road traffic in the affected areas to ensure the safety of the public, and praised all police agencies operating in those areas, including patrols, rescue, civil defense and public services in Ras Al Khaimah.

The Executive Director of the Public Works Corporation of the General Services Department, Engineer, Ahmed Al-Sayed Ban, told «Emirates Today» that the Wadi Al-Bayh Road has been temporarily opened to vehicles until the necessary measures are taken.

He explained that the department has started monitoring the roads affected by rain in all areas of the emirate in order to develop a plan for its maintenance, and pointed out that the existing road projects of the institution have not been affected by the heavy rains significantly, and that any damage will be addressed in the projects and roads in a manner that guarantees the safety Road users.

Save 204 people trapped in Wadi Al-Bayh

The director of the Special Tasks Department in Ras Al-Khaimah Police, Colonel Rukn Yusuf Salem Bin Yaqoub, said that during the past three days, the Air Wing Division rescued during the rains and the flow of wadis 204 people who were stranded and trapped in Wadi Al-Bayh and the mountainous areas and valleys of Ras Al-Khaimah, where they were transported in nine sorties He flew by using three helicopters to safety, during a time period of seven and a half hours.

He explained that the department was able to transport and recover the people trapped in the valleys and mountainous areas and to ensure their safety, and the air wing also on the evening of yesterday, rescued a young man in the second decade of his life, his vehicle was suspended in Wadi Al-Bayh. The Commander in Chief of Ras Al Khaimah Police, Head of the Emergency, Crisis and Local Disaster Management Team, Major General Ali Al-Naimi, indicated that the Air Wing Division made great efforts to save the stranded and was highly prepared in dealing with various cases.

He explained that the rescue operations included transporting families, patients, the elderly, children and women of all ages.

Citizens' demands:

Removing the houses built in the Negev Valley.

Divide the valley into three axes in order to reduce its water course.

Completion of the storage pit quickly to reduce the severity of the Negev valley.

“Public Services” started implementing a storage pit for rain water, with an area of ​​100,000 square meters and a depth of 20 meters.