As every year, with the "first rain," the roads turn into a prison for citizens who are trapped in severe traffic jams, especially at the entrances to the capital, Beirut. This occurred again today as employees and students were stuck in their cars for long hours, to the point that they had to turn off their engines while waiting for relief, amidst traffic control warnings to exercise caution for public safety due to the rainfall.
Despite the Ministry of Public Works and Transport having worked days prior to clean the storm drains, waste piled up once again, causing a rise in water levels on minor roads and highways, which contributed to worsening traffic congestion.
In this context, Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, Ali Hamie, wrote on the platform "X": "After the traffic control room registered severe congestion near the Kuwaiti embassy due to rising water levels on the roads: The media reports 'severe traffic congestion near the Kuwaiti embassy due to rising water levels on the roads.' The Ministry of Works: 'The picture speaks for itself. Waste is piled up in the stormwater drains. We worked yesterday, the day before yesterday, and last week in cooperation with the municipality of Ghobeiry to clean them, and we are working on cleaning them again today.'"
Hamie then posted on "X": "A surprise at the Furfuri Channel in Dhbayeh this morning, October 4, 2023: The flood carried along with it, in addition to dirt, sand, tree branches, and waste, very large water pipes, which could have blocked the drainage systems on the highway and caused certain disasters."
