Aiming to introduce comprehensive solutions to rainwater drainage in the governorate, the Muscat Municipality is preparing a strategy and will soon award the executive tender for the first stage
Valley flow and coulee permeation in the Muscat governorate are among the most pressing challenges to the municipality’s work. The geographic nature of the governorate’s location makes it vulnerable to hazards typically associated with valleys and floods. The enormous urban boom has contributed to extending the amount of time the problem took to become apparent. This boom was accompanied by a number of problems related to rainwater drainage and flood protection due to the lack of an extensive historical database of rainfall and valley drainage. It is this lack that has led to the design of a drainage system intended to accommodate standard surface water flow.
The municipality has thus prepared a comprehensive and exhaustive study of rainwater drainage in the Muscat Governorate, delegated to a specialized consulting company. The study included gathering information and data available on the course of valleys, their size, and the amount of water flowing through them. The old drainage system was removed and a new structural plan was made to meet the needs of the governorate for the drainage of surface water.
This study serves as a reference to assist in creating sustainable solutions to valley drainage problems in the region, specifying the course of valleys and the capacity of current drainage systems, and introducing main solutions to drainage and sewage issues. It paves the way for detailed studies in all regions of the governorate, which will be carried out according to cost and the needs of each particular region.
On this basis, the detailed study on surface water drainage in the first stage has come to include regions in the Bawshar province, specifically Azeba and Ghubrah. These areas are the most affected by the accumulation of rain water that remains for days after it rains because of inconsistent road levels and the lack of a drainage system. The study looks in detail at the region and its surface water drainage network to prepare a hydrologic model to ascertain the flow of water in the region and find appropriate executive solutions for drainage.
The municipality hopes to complete a group of detailed studies in light of the structural study, so as to be able to implement solutions that will guarantee the protection of the city and its citizens and facilities from flood hazards.