It is Not Late to Build an Infrastructure for Sanaa [Archives:1999/51/Viewpoint]
A city in general is the most modern and well-organized part of any country. Every city in the world must have a strong infrastructure that can withstand population growth and increases in trade with modern transportation facilities such as railroads, trams, good roads, etc.. However, when we come to the capital of Yemen, we realize something that is truly upsetting. Sanaa is among the few capitals in the world without a true infrastructure. It is even worse to see that our government is not planning ways to build up an infrastructure for their capital.
Since the revolution in 1963, Sanaa has continuously gained importance through the years. The expansion in the city is quite amazing. All Yemenis who have witnessed this expansion realize that the city is truly in a process of rapid growth which requires a lot of attention. Except for a few housing complexes, the expansion has been a serious of random construction of housing complexes and roads, which have hardly been planned at all. The price the country is paying for this random construction is quite high, but it is getting worse everyday. One cannot deny that Sanaa city is built upon no infrastructure. The scene of workers destroying the sidewalk and digging deep through it to install a sewage/water or electricity/phone system for a house or two is a common scene even in neighborhoods in the capital which are known for their high class residents.
One visit to Hayel -now Riyadh- Street would show the extent of carelessness and mismanagement that has been reached in regards to construction and cleanliness. The airport is another issue. Where does a first-time visitor to Yemen get his first impression of the country? It is at the airport. Unfortunately, what a first timer receives at the airport is the stinking smell from the huge open sewage lake in the Rowdha region. It has become a symbol of the absence of an infrastructure and design in Sanaa City.
However, it is not too late to build an infrastructure for the generations of the 21st century. In fact it would be easier now to build the infrastructure than to do it after tens of years, simply because the population is increasing and construction needs are intensifying.
The city is in dire need of an organized system of water supply, electricity, sewage, and telephones. We need to realize that it will one day be impossible to achieve what is achievable today.
It is time that our government concentrates on building a structure that will be safe to build on for tens of years to come. Look at Beirut of Lebanon. Who could have thought that it could one day have such a modern structure such as the one that has been built during the last several years? It was costly and difficult, but it was worthwhile, as the construction is in full swing with no fear of any sewage leakage, water shortage, or electrical blackouts.
I hope that our government will think seriously about this issue, as I believe that if they ignore this issue further, they will only be causing a lot of suffering for future generations, who will be faced with a situation where building an infrastructure will be impossible!
Walid Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf
Chief Editor
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