Sanitary Engineering Operation & Maintenance Director at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning Eng. Shawqi Al Mandeel stated that the total number of sanitary complaints directed to the Ministry's Reports & Complaints Centre amounted to 6378 complaints during the 1st half of 2016, compared to last year's statistic of 7101 during the same period, and 2014 statistic of 8067 complaints.
Al Mandeel explained that the decrease in the number of complaints is a result of the various sanitary projects implemented by the Ministry; including the upgrade of old networks and the implementation of Muharraq Sewage Treatment Plant, in addition to a number of contracts carried out by the directorate in relation to cleaning sewerage networks using high- pressure tanks, maintaining main and sub-stations, providing mobile pumps and providing sewage water suction tanks for emergencies.
'The Southern Governorate targeted the highest number of sanitary complaints, with 2465 reports, 2465 of which were resolved. The Capital Governorate came next with 1704 reports, 1704 of which were resolved. Muharraq Governorate attracted 1363 reports, 1363 of which were resolved, while the Northern Governorate targeted 846 reports, 846 of which were resolved,' said Al Mandeel.
Director Al Mandeel explained that the reports directed to the complaint center at the Ministry are received by 10 employees, who write down all data concerning any complaint and transfer it to the sanitary team, who tour all areas in the Kingdom on a daily basis to tackle emergency cases and incidents reported to the center in relation to sewerage and storm water drainage networks.
He also stated that the increase in reports in a certain area goes back to a number of reasons, like the increase in flows, lack of network capacity in some areas and misuse of sewerage networks by dumping oil into the network, which results in blockages.
The sanitary engineering services infrastructure in the Kingdom comprises of 13 sewage treatment plants and 12 sewage treated water distribution stations, while the total length of sanitary connections and storm water drainage connections in the Kingdom is 3431.3km. Also, there are 676 pumping stations, 206804 inspection chambers and 1250187 storm water drains.
