Fujairah families cut off every winter due to overflowing dam say nothing is being done

Eight families who live in a mountanous part of Fujairah say an overflowing dam cuts them off from civilisation each winter.

Residents worry that the ponds and puddles in front of their homes will obstruct emergency help if it were needed. Pawan Singh / The National

FUJAIRAH // Every winter, several families living in a remote mountain area are cut off from civilisation, but nothing changes no matter how many times they complain.

Since 2011, eight families living in the Al Mtherat area of Al Hail have been affected by the overflowing of Wadi Al Hail Dam, which cuts off their only road out of the area, leaving them trapped at home.

The families moved to the area four years ago, but did not become aware of the problem until they encountered it the first winter they were there.

“I have been visiting the municipality, the public works department and the Ministry of Environment [and Water] since 2012 to solve our problems, but nothing has happened so far,” said Abdullah Al Kindi, 37.

“The water coming from the dam keeps blocking our way out of the area, and this makes me afraid that in the event of an emergency, we wouldn’t be able to reach hospitals or that ambulances would not be able to pass through.”

Another complaint is cracks in the walls of homes getting worse, which residents say are because of mining operations near by.

“The blasting operations are still in progress, [even] after filing many complaints. I’m really tired of seeking help and asking for a solution,” Mr Al Kindi said.

“And we are still buying water due to a lack of water supply in the area – there is one tank with only 1,200 gallons that is supposed to cover the needs of the whole area plus Al Hail Al Shabieah, with about 35 houses.”

The most recent flooding occurred last week and standing water left behind is making parents worry that their children could slip and fall into the water.

Ahmad Al Kindi lives on the other side of the road, in Al Hail Al Shabieah. “The situation is getting worse every year and now, the water ponds outside our houses make us worry about our kids,” said the father of two children under the age of two.

“I lost one of my friends 23 years ago, when we were seven years old. He drowned in the water here, in the same spot where it’s gathered right now.

“Now, my kids are getting older and have started walking, we are afraid that one of them will slip and drown in the pond, God forbid.”

The two areas, Al Mtherat and Al Hail Al Shabieah, also have telecommunication issues, with residents saying that they rarely have network coverage on their phones. “We have a huge problem with the mobile network, the coverage is very poor and sometimes we need to use our phones in an emergency situation but we can’t,” said Ahmad Al Kindi.

“If I want to check on my family while I’m away or at work, it would be very difficult to reach them and that keeps me worried all the time.”

Fujairah Municipality could not be reached for comment.