JIZAN: Locals in the remote, mountainous Jizan region of Faifa are growing increasingly concerned at hazardous hillside rock falls and landslips which they say are caused by land saturated with sewage and drain water. With no proper infrastructure in place, Faifa's 70,000 residents in around 20 villages scattered across the peaks blame the Ministry of Transport and the municipality. A source at the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) has warned that the problem is getting worse, and that “immediate intervention” is required due to the number of homes and pressure on the land. The SGS official line, however, is that there is no cause for the alarm that several years ago saw villages evacuate under the threat of landslips. “The Geological Survey has its standards and we respect what they say,” said Ahmad Al-Abdali. “But we know our region.” Faifa town head Alyawi Al-Enizi, said that local villages, many of which have houses hundreds of years old, had seen in recent times a “housing boom”, with new, modern constructions being built, in contrast to neighboring regions, due to the area being a popular tourist destination. “Those houses don't represent any threat in themselves, other than one or two situated next to large rocks which have been dealt with properly,” he said. “No one is in danger, and we haven't had any complaints from homeowners over cracking. The rock falls and landslides are caused by the sewer and drain water which seeps into the earth, and that problem hasn't been dealt with.” Some villagers still recall the earthquakes of 1940, and say the region managed without difficulty. “It hardly affected us and didn't cause any serious problems,” said Mousa Al-Faifi. “Generations of people have lived in these houses, and nothing has changed in that respect. The issues now are about drains and sewers and the soil being saturated.” His son said that a sewage tanker track cost 600 riyals. “There are no trucks to pump out the drains, and this has caused an accumulation of water to the point where it is appearing on the land surface,” he said. Senior head of the Al-Amri tribe, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Faifi, said that SGS studies were correct in their assessment, except that they were looking at the wrong underlying cause. “The studies have been done by scientists and experts with experience,” he said. “But we are of the conviction that there are reasons behind these landslips which are similar to those that occur in other regions at times of heavy rainfall. The solution is sewer, drain and road works, which the region hasn't had.” The difficulty in access to the area is a factor that may mean infrastructure is slow to come to Faifa, and not without inconvenience. “We have conducted studies for sewer and drainage works in the Faifa mountains, and we have drawn up blueprints which we hope work will start on soon,” said Hamza Qana'i of the Jizan Water Department. “The region's narrow roads are a problem though. Digging will mean roads are completely cut off while works are done.”
