A third defense sand barrier of Misk Lake is under construction and is expected to be completed within a week, said Ibrahim Kutubkhana, Deputy Mayor of Jeddah for Construction and Projects, Thursday. The work on the new barrier between the lake and Samir District, east of Jeddah, was started Thursday as a precautionary measure against any potential flooding of the lake, he said. The residents of Samir District received ‘flood advisory' last Monday after a minor leakage from the evaporation lake connected with Misk Lake, creating a city-wide panic and unnecessary evacuation. The water level of Misk Lake has decreased by four meters from where it was after the rains lashed Jeddah last week, he said. Sewage water tankers have been prevented from dumping their cargo into the lake, contributing to a fast decrease of water level. The new barrier, being constructed by the Bin Laden Group, is 160-meter long, 3-meter high, and 25-meter wide. And it will be connected with drainage canals, north of Jeddah. Meanwhile, the second defense barrier of Misk Lake will be strengthened and its height will be increased, Kutubkhana said. Sewage water is now being pumped out of the lake at a rate of 40,000 cubic meters a day. Power back Electricity has been restored to over 166,000 subscribers in southeastern Jeddah after a blackout plunged that part of the city into darkness following last week's heavy rains, said Abdulaziz Al-Muttaw, director of the Jeddah Electricity.
