GAM gets ready to tackle winter floods

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has been working to avoid the reoccurrence of floods similar to those that inundated downtown last winter and brought with them road closures and enormous losses for shop owners.

Last winter’s floods caused huge property losses for citizens and merchants, despite GAM's assertion of its readiness for winter rains.

This year, GAM started early with its preparations to ascertain the infrastructure's preparedness for winter, according to a GAM official.

"Firstly, I guarantee that GAM is always prepared with its maximum capacities,” Basem Tarawneh, Deputy Director for Districts and Environmental Affairs at GAM, told The Jordan Times on Wednesday, stating that last year’s heavy rain was due to climate change, which doesn’t only affect Jordan but also the world.

"Last year's extreme weather conditions caused heavy rain like never before, which the main drainage system's capacity could not absorb," Tarawneh noted.

The main drainage system on Quraysh Street in downtown Amman will be maintained during the current week, while in the meantime subsidiary drainage systems are also being maintained to reduce the pressure on the main drainage system, the official said.