The roads got the best of us. We were "embarrassed" in every sense of the word, and the real winter has not yet begun. A citizen died as a result of what happened. In what "farm" do we live?! With storms approaching, one must ask whether we will experience the same "embarrassment" again. "There are three essential pillars to prevent flooding, and for me, this will not happen if there is constructive cooperation between these pillars," says Ali Hamieh, Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, to MTV, listing them:
- The first pillar is the Ministry of Public Works and Transport through cleaning the drainage systems and coastal outlets.
- The second pillar is the citizens by not throwing garbage on the roads.
- The third pillar is the municipalities and waste collection companies that have been charging for 30 years.
So, cooperation is essential to prevent a repeat of what happened. Have any measures been taken in this regard? Hamieh answers: "After what happened in the 'first rain,' I intensified the teams to clean up the waste again, and this work should be daily," confirming his follow-up on this issue with ministry contractors and companies. He reminds that the ministry has cleaned everything it could and continues to work, adding, "We need the cooperation of everyone. We started a month and a half ago, before the storms began, to clean the roads and I have urged everyone, including the municipalities, to work, emphasizing that I cannot do all the work alone and that I have done what I can to prevent the accumulation of waste on the sides of the roads, but everyone complained about the lack of funds." He places the responsibility for what happened on municipalities and waste collection companies before citizens.
Hamieh notes the "positive" initiative taken by MTV regarding pothole repairs and the maintenance of some roads, asking, "Why can’t another company follow suit in light of the difficult financial situation the state is experiencing?" He concludes by addressing citizens, saying: "God help them, and God help us, and God help us with what we have inherited."
