Storm hits property owners; farmers seek govt assistance
Access to several towns across the country has been cut off, and some residents have been temporarily left without access to food and water
MUSCAT: Home and farm owners in areas hit hard by the recent floods are urging the government to help them repair their properties; the week-long storm caused damages that run into thousands of rials.
Access to many towns across the country has been cut off, and some residents have been temporarily left without access to food and water.
The properties that have not been flooded still have no electricity since water from the wadis has short-circuited the cables.
Blocking roads
“Our roof has been leaking for the past three days, and seven members of my family are now using only one bedroom. A contractor said yesterday it would cost me OMR3,000-4,000 to fix the roof,” Ahmed Al Mashaaly, a resident of Ibri, told Times of Oman over the phone. Some residents in Quriyat had walked for three kilometres to the nearest shop, when water in the nearby wadi overflowed onto the roads, effectively blocking those roads.
It took Said Al Hatmy three hours to return home with a Farmers are also counting their losses in South Batinah. The storm has uprooted some trees, damaged crops, and destroyed farming equipment.
“My tractor is not working because there is mud in the engine. The bill to repair it will be at least OMR2,000. The shed where I store my carrots, cucumbers, watermelons, and limes is now flat on the ground,” Mubarak Al Maqbali, a farmer in Barka, told Times of Oman.
Other farmers in the area reported damaged water pumps — an important tool for watering their crops. Fishermen also reported damage to their outboard engines, and shopkeepers said their products in flood-hit towns had been ruined. bag of groceries only to find his car floating in the wadi. He also found his front yard was flooded, and his furniture had been washed away by the water.
“I have third-party insurance. I won’t receive any compensation. The wall of my living room had caved in, and all my belongings were in the front yard. We need the government’s assistance to pay for these damages,” Al Hatmy remarked from Quriyat.
Counting losses