by P A Hameed Padubidri, Saudi Arabia
Daijiworld Media Network – Riyadh (SB)
Riyadh, May 5: The City has been experiencing the bad weather conditions since few days. If it sometimes encounters heavy sandstorms, sturdy wind, stormy ambiance; some other times, it is full of clouds and dusts causing occasionally drizzles and rainfalls all over the city.
Variation and instability in the climate have rendered many people exhausted. Both citizens and residents were under constant apprehension of looking forward to experiencing the deluge in Riyadh due to changing conditions. As expected, but to an utter surprise, heavy rains caused a lot of havoc in the city on Monday May 3. The downpours were for around one hour that was sufficient enough to create a lot of mess throughout Riyadh.
Most of the places like Exits 8, 9, 10 and 11, Airport Road, Granada Shopping Mall area, Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman Technical University region, Rowdah, Khurais Road, Hail Wazarah (Haara), Bath’ah, Olaya, Malaz and Haa’er District among others were fully waterlogged. Some of the roads, overpasses, underpasses and streets in those areas became impenetrable for the vehicles as these being ducked in the flood. We could see roadblocks and traffic jams everywhere on the main roads. The working people and students returning home faced hard time as they were diverted to and stuck in places they were clueless. The people, who were on the road, had been in continuous contact with their relatives and friends asking the condition of the roads/places, where they had already traveled. The people in their vehicles took more than three to four hours to reach their homes. Due to occurrences of road accidents, fall of light poles and trees among others, the vehicles were moving inch by inch as there were heavy gridlocks, mainly on the Airport-Khurais Roads, Olaya and other parts of the city. A number of passengers missed their flights due to heavy downpours on the roads leading to airport.
The scenarios in between Exit 9 and Exit 10 road, which is opposite Granada Shopping Mall, were awful as several cars submerged in water. Some Vans and mini buses were wedged on the edges of the pavements and footpaths. Many side-roads and walkways were flooded due to continuous flow of rainwaters. Several drains overflowed contaminating water. Since there was no proper drainage system and flow channels on either side of the roads, the rainwater stagnated on the low-lying places and roads.
Pebbles and mires spread everywhere on the main roads. Police, Civil Defense team, Fire brigade, Red Crescent, Riyadh Municipality were seen in the affected areas and highways clearing the roadblocks and hitches. Many youngsters, Saudis and others alike, were very helpful by navigating the vehicles and people to alternate ways, thus avoiding further snags. Barbed wires that prevented the pedestrians from crossing the highways had been removed to make way for smooth flow of vehicles.
The state of emergency and other precautionary measures were declared in Riyadh. The schools and colleges including Universities in Riyadh remained closed as per the order of the Saudi Higher and Primary Education Ministries. It has been reported that there were considerable decrease in the employees turn up in their workplaces. The Saudi authorities warned the people not to take their vehicle out unless there is dire necessity. It is expected that everything will be all right and cleared within a couple of days.