Public Works minister underscores Kingdom’s winter preparedness plan

AMMAN — Minister of Public Works and Housing Falah Omoush underscored the need to be fully prepared to deal with any exceptional circumstances in the upcoming months, according to a ministry statement made available to The Jordan Times on Saturday.

Omoush also stressed the importance of early preparedness, in addition to developing a well-considered action plan, as well as, providing all required supplies, the statement added.

This came during the minister’s meeting with directors of the work directorates across the Kingdom’s municipalities on Saturday, to discuss the ministry and affiliated directorates’ work and winter emergency plans in accordance with the governmental matrix to address the pandemic, according to the statement.

Omoush noted that “the ministry has established a comprehensive plan geared towards ensuring the sustainability of work in the construction sector during the COVID-19 matrix phases set by the government regarding pandemic levels”. 

This plan defines the mechanism of work continuation in the projects and illustrates the precautionary and preventative measures in case the epidemiological situation changes from low, moderate to high risk, he said.

In regards to preparedness for the upcoming winter season, Omoush underlined the importance of implementing the emergency plan, which is based on reviewing 2019’s emergency plan results.

Omoush directed the ministry’s directors to check the machinery and prepare field action teams. Ninety-four groups have been equipped and deployed on all of the main roads in the Kingdom’s governorates, in addition to increasing the numbers of icebreakers, the statement said.

A major operating room has been developed at the ministry with modern communication devices, in addition to preparing 14 operation rooms in the ministry’s directorates across Jordan, which are all connected with the main operations room, the statement said.

Surveillance cameras were installed on the Airport Road in cooperation with the Public Security Directorate and the ministry is currently coordinating with the PSD to install cameras along all the Kingdom’s major roads, the statement said.