Egypt’s PM appropriates $9.7mn to upgrade Alexandria’s rain drainage system

Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail announced Sunday evening the appropriation of 75 million Egyptian pounds ($9.7 million) to repair the ailing rain drainage system in Alexandria following heavy rains that paralysed the city and caused accidents that left five dead, a cabinet statement read.

PM Sherif had travelled to Alexandria on Sunday afternoon to inspect the damages which resulted from the first serious rain storm in the wet season, which usually spans from October to April.

The storm flooded the streets and many homes in a city that has not seen serious upgrade of its rain drainage system or its overall infrastructuire in years. The storm also caused power outages in some districts.

Pictures of cars, taxis, microbuses, and even people partly submerged in water in Alexandria went viral on social media, with many residents expressing anger at the authorities for not preparing for the rainy season in advance.

Shortly after the scale of the chaos in the city became apparent to all, a Facebook event was created by some residents calling for a protest next Friday to demand the sacking of Alexandria’s governor, Hani El-Messery. Over two thousand people swiftly replied they would join the event.

Meanwhile, El-Messeiri, who was appointed governor in February 2015, issued a statement on Sunday afternoon describing the situation in the city on Sunday as an “ecological disaster.”

Earlier in October, the governor, in a bid to alert Cairo to looming dangers that could threaten Alexandria, said he had alerted the cabinet that the city has not undergone any infrastructure development projects for 15 years.

Alexandria witnesses flash floods almost on a yearly basis. Last year, floods wreaked havoc on the city for several days.

Source: Ahram Online