Doha

Senior infrastructure experts from across the region highlighted Qatar's growing requirements in drainage and sewerage management at a conference on `Future drainage and storm water networks'.

While developing own plans and programmes for infrastructural development, the local planners and administrators should evaluate and carry out studies on similar projects executed in the neighbouring Gulf states before choosing the best to meet their needs and requirements, it was urged.

One of the speakers said the infrastructure that has been put in place in Qatar over the years is capable of meeting the needs of the residents for the immediate years to come as well.

While deliberating on the existing sewerage management system and its capacity in the country, he said Qatar has more than 2,000km of sewerage pipeline networks and more than 500km of drainage networks. The state also has more than 150 pumping stations to meet its requirements.

"However, the state continues to invest for strengthening its infrastructure in such vital areas as drainage and sewerage management and there would be a massive expansion in the respective networks in the next few years as large number of infrastructure development works are going on across the country," said the speaker.

Even while acknowledging the complexities in effectively managing the surface water and ground water in many areas, the official said no efforts are spared these days as there has been a large growth in the country's requirements because of a massive growth in the country's population.

Ashghal's Drainage Networks Department project manager Rameshbabu Settypalli and MWH Global Project manager Peter Fraser made their presentations, focusing on demonstration facilities for ground and surface water treatment.

In another session, a senior engineer from Abu Dhabi City Municipality, Aysha Albaloushi, explained how effective has been the UAE capital in developing a storm water master-plan for the city in line with the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision. The speaker also requested the local planners to emulate some lessons from their city's plan as there are lots of similarities in the topography between the UAE and Qatar.

A senior engineer from Riyadh Brian Holden, working for an widely acclaimed international consultant said the Saudi Arabian capital had experienced similar flooding years ago in a November as the one witnessed in Doha on November 25 this year. He said how Riyadh city has developed a master plan on storm water since then. A close look at the infrastructural developments occurring these days there, he said, would reveal in no uncertain terms that they have parallels in Doha as well, especially the Metro related works.

Similar levels of works are happening in both the cities and both could share each other's experience and expertise in such areas as managing ground water and surface water resources, he added.