Departments concerned exert efforts to mitigate impacts of dust haze

Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) took precautions to tackle the impacts of a dust haze that prevails in most governorates of the Sultanate of Oman due to active winds.

Maj Ahmed Yahya al Maawali, Commandant of the ROP Operations Centre (ROC), said that ROC is deploying its security and traffic personnel along the route leading from northern governorates to the Governorate of Dhofar, with two checkpoints set up, one at Raki Bridge (flyover) and the other at Qarat Al Milh—both in the Wilayat of Adam.

Maj Al Maawali advised road drivers to exercise caution, a good distance from the vehicles travelling ahead of them and use front lights and headlights.

Meanwhile, Eng Awadh Salim al Sudairi, Director of the Road Maintenance Department at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that a dust wave began on Saturday and extended over a number of governorates on Sunday.

Al Sudairi pointed out that the Ministry, acting in cooperation with the ROP, distributed necessary equipment along the roads impacted by the dust storm, including Nizwa-Thumrait Road, to help clear any sands that might pile up on the road and endanger road users.

The Ministry of Health also advised members of the public to stay at home as much as possible, to avoid any complications that might arise from inhaling the dust.