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The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR) is planning to build flood protection dams in three governorates - Muscat, Dhofar and Musandam.
In an emailed reply to Muscat Daily, Eng Nasser Mohammed Nasser al Battashi, director general of Water Resources Assessment in MRMWR, said, “Flood protection dams are being planned for three governorates including Muscat, Salalah in Dhofar and Musandam. These dams will help reduce losses caused by flooding.”
In Muscat, the construction of three dams that are under consideration include Wadi Adai in the wilayat of Muttrah, Al Jufainah in the wilayat of Amerat and Jiffnain in the wilayat of Seeb. “One will be a rock-fill dam and the other two earth-fill ones. All three will be able to store up to 50.1mn m3 water in total.”
Regarding Salalah, Eng Battashi said, “It is important to note that during last year’s Cyclone Mekunu, the existing Salalah flood protection dams helped reduce losses and played an important role in the protection of the Salalah Airport and the residential area downstream. In fact, more than 27mn m3 water could be stored in the dams out of 77.2mn m3 water generated through rainfall.”
As for the remaining unprotected areas in Salalah, MRMWR has completed the detailed design and tender documents for the construction of five dams which can altogether store 123.03mn m3 water. “In addition to the above, there will be a 1,610m lateral protection wall at the Raysut port area,” he said.
Elaborating on the Musandam plan, he said, “In addition to the existing dams, the ministry has started the construction of Ghamdah Dam. It will have a storage capacity of 1.098mn m3 of water.”
The ministry’s preliminary assessment proposes the study of three sites: Lima, Tibat and Fugha. “Also, other studies will be conducted for the development and protection of all wilayats in Musandam governorate.”
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