The February thunderstorms have had a positive impact on Oman’s water resources as the dams in the northern governorates were able to capture the rainwater.
On Tuesday, the Wadi Dayqah Dam in Qurayat was picturesque as it was a spectacular sight with water in abundance and low flowing clouds and fog.
The Sultanate of Oman has a total of 185 dams, including 114 dams that store water for agriculture. Three flood protection dams are situated in Muscat, Sur, and Salalah, while 67 dams recharge downstream areas. There are three types of dams in Oman — flood protection dams, recharge dams and storage dams.
The Director of the Department of Dams at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Yousuf al Manthari told the Observer, “A number of dams are filled with water that will be used in the future, hence the the rains have been beneficial.”
Qurayat had received heavy amount of rain during the low-pressure this week. The amount of rain Wadi Dayqah Dam has collected is impressive. “It is estimated that Wadi Dayqah Dam can store 100 million cubic metres of water. Before the rainfall, the dam held about 52 million cubic meters of water, but this morning, it has been overflowing,” he said on Tuesday evening.
Al Manthari said, “At present, Wadi Dayqah Dam has a storage capacity of approximately 100 million cubic meters of water and is primarily used for agricultural purposes. Some of amount is used directly to Aflaj system.”
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