Madaba — The Greater Madaba Municipality is continuing to implement a package of vital projects to develop and improve rainwater drainage networks and channels at a cost exceeding JD1.5 million. The projects aim to increase drainage efficiency and address weak points and flood-prone areas, while some residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the financial valuations assigned to their properties and land expropriated by the municipality for this purpose.
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The projects coincide with the municipality’s procedures to expropriate 11 homes and several plots of land located within valleys and flood channels, in a move aimed at addressing the problem at its source and protecting citizens’ lives and property.
Comprehensive Plan for Winter
Head of the Greater Madaba Municipality Committee, engineer Haitham Jweinat, said the municipality is addressing the issue through an integrated approach that combines modern infrastructure development with the removal of existing sources of risk.
He explained that the current rainwater drainage projects, costing around JD1.5 million, aim to increase the network’s capacity to handle heavy rainfall, particularly in areas that have previously experienced water accumulation or blockages caused by urban encroachment and the narrowing of valley channels.
He said these locations cannot be addressed through temporary solutions, but require reopening natural water pathways and implementing drainage networks capable of responding to changing climate conditions.
“Previous incidents in several areas of the governorate caused by floods and rainwater provide a clear roadmap for our proactive plans this year, ensuring that what happened is not repeated and protecting citizens’ lives and property,” Jweinat said.
He explained that the municipality had held meetings with property and homeowners to discuss the procedures, explain the details and listen to their concerns, stressing that the work would continue within the legal framework protecting everyone’s rights.
Jweinat said the municipality is working on several fronts, including expropriating properties and land located within valley boundaries and preventing reconstruction there in the future. The aim is to prevent the closure of valley channels and transform hazardous areas into open spaces and parks for local residents.
He added that land transferred to municipal ownership after the completion of the expropriation procedures would not be left vacant, but would instead be designated for parks, green spaces and public facilities.
Jweinat stressed that the expropriation decision was taken to address locations related to public safety and rainwater drainage, particularly areas that could pose a risk to residents and property during heavy rainfall, rather than simply to acquire properties.
He noted that buildings or other obstacles located within valley and flood channels narrow water pathways, potentially increasing the risk of water accumulation and flooding residential areas or neighboring properties, particularly in areas previously affected by encroachments or blockages that restricted water flow.
He said the municipality had developed an early and comprehensive emergency plan in coordination with the relevant authorities and the Madaba Governorate operations room.
The plan includes cleaning and expanding box and pipe culverts, removing sediment and accumulated debris from valleys and hazardous culverts in residential and agricultural areas, and identifying flood-prone hotspots to ensure immediate intervention before any emergency occurs.
It also includes improving the efficiency of machinery and equipment and preparing emergency teams and personnel to work around the clock.
The previous rainy season witnessed numerous incidents caused by large volumes of rainwater flowing through valleys. Several streets turned into large pools of water that disrupted the movement of vehicles and pedestrians, while many neighborhoods and residential areas faced flooding risks due to blocked drainage channels and the networks’ inability to accommodate increasing rainfall.
At the same time, the Ma'in area experienced the collapse of parts of its road system after culverts became blocked and stones, silt and soil were washed onto the roads, causing severe damage to infrastructure and isolating the entire area.
Calls to Stop Construction Near Valleys
While owners of expropriated properties have objected to the financial valuations, several residents believe the municipality’s measures to reduce the risk of floodwaters reaching residential neighborhoods represent a public demand, particularly given the many hotspots requiring immediate action.
Resident Majed Salameh said expropriating properties located within valley and flood channels is necessary when existing buildings or obstacles are responsible for narrowing water pathways. He stressed that leaving such locations unchanged could increase the risk of rainwater accumulation and property damage.
He said addressing the problem at an early stage is preferable to waiting for further damage to occur. He called for clear and organized procedures and for hazardous locations to be addressed through an approach that prevents the problem from recurring while preserving natural water channels.
Social activist and member of the Greater Madaba Municipal Council Suhad Al-Abbadi said the municipality’s measures aim to correct previous mistakes in issuing construction permits without complying with zoning regulations.
She stressed the need to carefully examine applications for residential construction and verify the safety and suitability of locations before granting approvals.
Resident Salem Abdul Rahim said previous incidents in the governorate require a fundamental solution, particularly regarding the granting of construction permits near valleys and flood channels.
He said urban expansion should not come at the expense of rainwater drainage routes.
He stressed the need to carefully examine property locations before issuing construction permits and ensure that proposed buildings do not conflict with flood channels or obstruct water flow, so that permits do not eventually become a problem requiring expropriation and remediation years later.
Resident Mohammad Ali Al-Shawabkeh said construction near valleys is a wrong decision that does not serve the public interest. He stressed that building properties within or near flood channels can obstruct water flow and increase the risk of water accumulation.
He said expropriation should be part of a comprehensive solution that begins with removing sources of danger and continues by preventing construction from being repeated in locations that conflict with valley and flood channels.
He called for stricter procedures to assess construction sites before permits are issued and for land suitability for construction to be considered alongside its location in relation to waterways. He argued that preventing the problem is preferable to dealing with its consequences after the damage occurs.
Resident Maryam Issa praised the municipality’s efforts to address hazardous locations and reopen valley and flood channels, saying that protecting citizens and their property should be a priority when dealing with properties located along water pathways.
The issue also highlights that property expropriation and financial valuation are two separate processes. Expropriation concerns the legal procedure for acquiring property for a public purpose, while valuation determines the property’s financial worth and the compensation owed to its owner.
Issa welcomed the municipality’s plan to use land acquired through expropriation for parks, green spaces and public facilities. She said transforming hazardous locations into spaces that residents can benefit from would meet the aspirations of people across the governorate.
Property owners, meanwhile, have objected to the assigned financial valuations, saying they are significantly lower than the actual market value of their properties.
They stressed that their objections were not intended to obstruct the municipality’s plan to reopen flood channels or protect public safety, but were limited to the valuation aspect. They called for the valuations to be reconsidered and for the criteria used to determine them to be clarified, taking into account location, size, and the nature of existing buildings and structures to ensure fair compensation reflecting the actual value of their properties before the expropriation procedures are completed.
Source: Al-Ghad
