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part-2

While the Supreme Committee for Town Planning is going about completely revamping the urban plans, a look at what people feel and want

Sometimes it takes a disaster to shake us out of complacency, to take a look at what is truly important. That seems to be the case with urban planning in Oman. Town planning has become serious business. Work on a comprehensive land use strategy that will encompass all future plans for development, including roads, residential, commercial and tourism areas, dams, ports, agricultural lands will begin in August this year and the final land use strategy is expected to be ready in three years. This will form the basis for any decision by the appropriate planning/building authority to determine whether specific proposals for development should be approved.

While the administration is going about their business, what is it that those outside it, with no power to make administrative change yet successful in fields related to that, feel? What would they have done had they been in a position to decide, what are their suggestions?

Saleh H A Miri, CEO, The Blue City, says compared to many other places, Oman is well planned, where despite critical geographical constraints, the planners have done a commendable job. "Gonu was a natural disaster brought about by global weather conditions, you cannot blame it on anyone. However, some things were mistakenly done as the sultanate developed. When you have wadis, under no circumstance should buildings be allowed to come up there. But now that the buildings are already there we have to look at preventive measures." He suggests making provisions for diversion channels that will ensure that all the water from the mountains will bypass the developed areas.

"Better still is to plan in the medium term and have a system by which water is collected and distributed or left to recharge the groundwater levels so that it doesn't rush into the sea as a mass and go waste."

Most of the population lives in the very narrow coastal area between Gulf of Oman and the Hajar mountains. There are a number of environmental consequences due to intensive population growth in this area, and more importantly the way we build our houses and infrastructure projects.

Wadis, nature's own drainage system, have shaped the mountains and coastal region of Oman and we need to pay attention to these. "Today we see a lot of construction in the middle of wadis. Not only that, we are also building roads that are acting as a barrier to the natural course of wadis. In many areas, roads hinder water flow from the mountains to the sea. What we need to do is not stop the water as we develop areas but to make arrangements for it to flow unhindered. Hanging bridges or those who stand on columns will be a better option than building the bridge by filling the wadi in that area," says Mohammed Al Harthy, honorary member of Geological Society of Oman.

This seems to be a view seconded by experts in the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources (MRMEWR) as well. Says Dr Abdulaziz Al-Mashikhi, director, Ground and Surface Water Assessment Department, MRMEWR, "The roads that were washed away in the recent rains were those that were along the wadi path where they had obstructed the flow. Sometimes the consultants' study can be flawed. They may not have accounted for the maximum quantity and velocity of the water flow possible resulting in smaller culverts that invariably increases the flood risk."

Shawqi Sultan, proprietor, Majan Engineering, is also of the opinion that cities in Oman, including Muscat, are well planned. "Even during the cyclone, it was not the design of the city per se but the management of it that was at fault. Knowing that wadis get flooded during heavy rains, nothing that hinders water flow should have been allowed. Cities like Los Angeles, which has a topography that resembles Muscat, have flash floods frequently and there is no damage as the water is guided straight into the sea without any hindrance."

Sultan suggests initiating a proper wadi maintenance programme manned by a committee of engineers and not by politicians or officials. "In areas that are at a risk of getting flooded there should be bridges and not culverts. There should also be stricter regulation on how close one can construct to a wadi."

According to Miri, good town planning also needs to look at alternatives. That makes sure that if there is a problem in one area everything doesn't come to a standstill, there will be a working alternative. "Of course there is a cost implication, but that's where planning comes into effect. When you plan for the long term, a little extra at the onset should not be a consideration. Because, when there are damages the cost implications are much more if not planned. You can never plan a city completely. Your success as a town planner lies in making provisions for future development."

Al Harthy holds the topography of Oman dear to heart. He says razing the mountaintops to make way for constructions is not exactly the best idea, no matter how attractive a real estate prospect it looks. And destruction of the natural beauty is not his only concern. "The mountains that are standing high remain like that because the natural carbonate cover on top is resistant to the vagaries of nature. It protects the softer rocks underneath from erosion. We can't remove the natural barrier these carbonate rocks provide without exposing the unstable rocks beneath. Once that is exposed in the urge to acquire prime property, the chance of erosion and landslide increases manifold. That part of the mountain can collapse due to gravity during a downpour. We really need to study our mountains carefully before we decide to construct on them."

According to him, before you raze the mountains you need to look for other options that are more eco-friendly. With a population of just 2.5mn in an area of 309500sqkm, land, he says, is not a premium. According to him, the Al Hasm platform, or what is popularly known as Airport Heights, is a good example of naturally flattened land in Muscat. "You have prime property there, with hard carbonate on top that won't cave in. This land was trimmed by nature. Geologically this was coastland millions of years ago and a wave at some point shaved off the mountain forming a plateau, ready for man to build on."

"We have gone through excellent development and beautification. But the question is whether all the consequences of development have been considered, whether a risk management plan is in place. Considering the unique geology of Oman, I think it will be a good idea to consult geologists also before development projects," adds Al Harthy.

Miri says town planning should also take care of aesthetics. It is not just about giving permits. There has to be harmony, a balance, and a sense of proportion. "There are multi-storey buildings in many areas like Al Khuwayr right next to villas. That's not the way to go about planning a city. No well-planned city has highrises and villas together in an area. Don't allow highrises next to a villa and end up having a mix-and-match set of buildings."

Mukhtar M Hasan, director, Al Mustaqbal Properties, says it is high time that proper zoning was done. "Many residential areas also have commercial properties; you see offices and training institutes in residential areas. Somebody can open an office right next your house. This, apart from a lack of being a planning problem also creates parking issues. I feel this is something that needs to be sorted out."

According to Miri, a town planner has a responsibility to the community and it is up to him to decide what should be allowed for better conditions. Urban planning issue has to be tackled at three levels. "If I were in charge I would start with the long-term. I would prefer to have the infrastructure set up first. There is no point building houses for the sake of it. There has to be an economic backbone to sustain such a unit, only then it becomes planning. You have to have economic magnets."

Medium and short term planning will involve what can be implemented now without altering or spending too much. "For any major development, whether it is a mass transport system or a commercial complex, you need to attain a certain critical mass as far as population is concerned. You cannot have everything for 10,000 people; it's not viable. But that doesn't mean you don't make provisions for future expansion, in ten years you might have 200,000 people. So today, you have to make provision for future expansion that has to happen at that period. If you don't do this now things will collapse at that point." Having that vision is planning.

Hasan says the cities in Oman have a character of their own and that should be maintained. "When you come to Oman, its architecture really captures your attention. Its has a character of its own, and the subdued colours add to the ambience. As there are no highrises, it is more in tune with the nature. And luckily, there is no shortage of land." However, to manage the current shortage of commercial areas resulting in mixed land use, he suggests developing some downtown areas with highrises. "Downtown areas like those in the US and UK can work here also and can act as both shopping and entertainment avenues for residents."

Older satellite maps show an estuary where the Qurm Natural Park is located. However, Salim Mohd al Afani, Director General, Physical Planning, the Supreme Committee for Town Planning, is categorical that there has not been human intervention in the filling of that area into solid ground. "Over the years natural sedimentation from the wadis can solidify an area. I think that is what happened there."
But what about the lessons we have learned now? Shouldn't things be planned in a different way? The ball is definitely in the court of the planning authorities now. As one geologist put it succinctly, "Everyone, individuals or organisations, make mistakes as they grow. What is important is to recognise and rectify these and move on...that's how you succeed." May be nothing else can sum up the attitude that is required as we go about planning our cities in a better way.