‘GAM will not evade responsibility of shortfalls in managing rainfall’

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) will not evade its responsibilities if the reports of the formed committees find shortfalls in dealing with the recent rainfall in downtown Amman, Mayor Youssef Shawarbeh said.

During a GAM council meeting on Tuesday, Shawarbeh stressed the importance of the facts and figures issued by the Jordan Metrological Department and Arabia Weather, as well as geologists and experts on the unprecedented rainfall, which flooded downtown Amman and caused damage to traders, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The GAM council on Tuesday decided to form a committee from its members comprising nine heads of local committees for the most affected areas, and a representative of the Amman Chamber of Commerce in the council. 

The committee is tasked with examining the reasons behind the failure to contain the rainfall and the measures taken to that end, in addition to the recommendations of the formed committees.

The mayor of Amman pointed out that the GAM, as part of its infrastructure development strategy, will study the need for drainage networks in each area, adding that the infrastructure of any city depends on the average, not extraordinary, rate of rainfall and snow.

During the session, the GAM council members demanded that a department be established to deal with such crises while enabling administrations to take decisions and delegate powers.

On Saturday, Shawarbeh said that the GAM would exempt the traders who were affected during the recent heavy rain that flooded downtown Amman from certain registration licence and waste fees for two years.

Last Thursday, heavy rain flooded downtown Amman and caused “extensive damage”, prompting citizens to express their frustration over the country’s “poor” infrastructure over social media platforms, while others launched an initiative to extend a helping hand to those affected.

The latest depression, which brought with it an extensive amount of rain to water-deprived Jordan, also brought with it losses estimated in the thousands for downtown shops, according to various owners.