One or two ‘felt’ quakes occur annually
In contrast to the rising number of fuel stations all over the Sultanate, tyre filling pumps and other public services typically associated with fuel stations are increasingly becoming non-existent.
Frustrated motorists have taken to social media to voice their anger over the dilapidated state of public amenities at many fuel stations, and are urging the authorities to take the owners in question to task. Some have called for fuel stations to be subject to regulation given their role as a public service.
“The tyre filling air pump does not work at most fuel stations, and no one seems to care,” lamented Ahmed al Balushi, an entrepreneur based in Muscat. Amenities such as air pumps, modern fire extinguishers, and other services should be commonplace at fuel station, he emphasised.
“Unfortunately, after they damaged, they remain in a rundown state with no one bothering to repair them or reporting the damage to the authorities concerned. Even the station owners seem unconcerned,” Al Balushi added.
Likewise, Jasim al Harthi, who makes the daily commute from his town in South Al Batinah Governorate, says many of the fuel stations operating en-route lack basic public amenities. Consequently, many motorists are taking the precaution of keeping emergency repair kits in the boot of their vehicles.
“Nowadays, the fuel station is there to only dispense fuel and nothing else. I keep all the tools including a compact version of the air pump inside my vehicle for any emergencies,” said Al Harthi.
“Although some of these tools are quite expensive, many of us motorists consider it wise to have them handy because the fuels stations are not suitably equipped.” The Sultanate has not witnessed any felt earthquakes in previous year till the present, while two felt earthquakes were reported in the Wilayat of Al Amerat in 2015, according to the Earthquake Monitoring Centre at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).
“Normally, one or two felt earthquakes on average are registered annually in the Sultanate,” said Issa al Hussain, Director, Earthquake Monitoring Centre at SQU.
He said that since its foundation in 2001, the centre has monitored more than 51 earthquakes that were felt by people mostly in the northern parts of the Sultanate, particularly the Governorate of Musandam. AMP AMENITIESPUMPS, MODERNSUCH AS FIREAIR EXTINGUISHERS, AND OTHE OTHER SERVICES SHOULD BE CO COMMONPLACE AT FUEL STATI STATION, HE EMPHASISED.
The centre registers around 1,500 to 2,000 earthquakes most of them are unfelt, including 300 regional and local earthquakes.
The largest earthquake in magnitude ever detected by the monitoring stations in the Sultanate occurred near Mad’ha in Musandam Governorate on March 11, 2002, and measured 3.5 on the Richter Scale.
The most powerful earthquake to affect the Sultanate occurred in Iran on April 16, 2013, and it was widely felt across the northern governorates of the Sultanate, Al Hussain said.
The Sultanate has 21 earthquake monitoring stations, and all are overseen by the Earthquake Monitoring Centre SQU, Al Hussain, said.
He added that thanks to its location in an area of low seismicity as well as the presence of mountains prevent the Sultanate from powerful and destructive earthquakes. at
The tyre filling air pump does not work at most fuel stations, and no one seems to care.
AHMED AL BALUSHI, An Entrepreneur