Sunday, December 03, 2006

Water Problems

In wealthy desert cities (which are largely limited to the south western US), little provision is made for the few days when it rains. (A Saudi friend was saying that Jeddah is a very wealthy city; but Jeddah isn’t really a wealthy city: cities with industry have much more money than Jeddah.)

The basic economics is that the cost of having flooded streets is inconvenience and economic losses for a day or three a year. The cost of a storm system that would prevent the flooding would mean taxes payable 365 days. So, when it rains, the streets flood and people can’t drive on the streets.

That this is what’s done in wealthy countries was little comfort to those stuck in Sharjah yesterday. The water was high enough in some places to flood cars, and several got water in the engines and stalled. All were stuck in traffic.

My day started in Dubai with a small boy jumping in the puddles he had probably never seen before. Many onlookers smiled as his mother grimaced, chased him, and dragged him to dry ground. Then I had a meeting in Sharjah.

The bus dropped me at a taxi stand, but no taxis came to the stand. I went to see if I could make it to the street, but water, a meter deep and a street wide separated me from the main street clogged with taxis. I saw several people taking off their shoes, but I have a vivid imagination for what might lie beneath the muddy waters. I went back to the taxi stand. Still no taxis. Finally, I rolled up my pants and waded across. Lots of taxis, though the one I got into wondered why I was taking a taxi when it was faster to wade (dry ground on which to walk being unavailable). As we sat in traffic, I saw several people walking through the meter deep water, their shoes in their hands. And I wondered if they had any idea what they might be stepping on.

When I arrived, I was soaked, and my friend gave me a dishdash to wear while my clothes dried. Since my clothes were still damp when I had to leave, he said the dishdash didn’t fit him, and I could keep it. He was probably lying, but I liked having a dishdash, so I accepted.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh I remember the rain in Sharjah! My brother was born in Al Zahra hospital in January (1980 something) so we used to drive back and forth after school to visit him and my mum. The water would be half way up the doors! Such fun - or at least I thought so at the time!!

1:43 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dubai is so lovely, i like so much this town
DUBAI WONDERS

2:38 pm  
Anonymous Zareen Khan said...

Thank you so much for sharing such an informative post on water treatment. The major problem faced by civilians of Dubai is drinking water delivery. Now, there are some drinking water delivery companies like Mai Dubai, Oasis Water, Pelican Water which provides drinking water all over Dubai.

5:29 pm  
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