Caretaker Public Works Minister Ali Hamiyeh at his ministry, Aug. 28, 2024. (Credit: NNA)
Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh announced a "proactive plan" on Wednesday to prepare Lebanon’s highways for the upcoming winter season. During a meeting held at the ministry with contractors responsible for maintaining rainwater drainage channels, Hamieh emphasized the importance of taking preventive measures to mitigate flooding risks before heavy rains begin.
Every year Lebanon experiences floods in every winter season, which has worsened following the economic crisis that started in 2019 with an already struggling infrastructure.
“We are working on a proactive plan, not a passive one, for clearing and cleaning rainwater drainage channels along the highways,” Hamieh stated after the meeting. “Our contractors are engaged in ongoing work throughout the year, and today’s meeting aimed to objectively assess last season’s technical issues and ensure we overcome them this year with minimal damage.”
The meeting, attended by the Director General of the Ministry Ali Hoballah, and other officials involved in road infrastructure, focused on the progress of current maintenance efforts and outlined a strategic roadmap for the months ahead. Hamieh stressed that starting immediately, maintenance crews would intensify their efforts across all highways under the ministry’s jurisdiction, which includes routes from Beirut to the south, Bekaa, the north, and Mount Lebanon, excluding those within the capital, as they fall outside the ministry’s authority.
Hamieh underscored the importance of cooperation among all relevant entities.
He also pointed out the impact of climate change on weather patterns, highlighting the need for daily and continuous efforts by municipalities to remove waste from internal town roads, particularly in areas geographically elevated above highways. He also called on waste management companies contracted by the state to consistently remove waste from highways and other roads to prevent similar issues.
Hamieh further emphasized the responsibility of the Ministry of Energy and Water in clearing river channels that flow from higher altitudes, warning that blockages in these channels could cause torrents that carry waste onto highways.
“The responsibility must be shared in a complementary manner by all ministries, concerned parties, and even citizens.”
