As the rainy seasons approach, Tafilah Governorate is preparing with all its staff, equipment, and plans to face potential winter storms, amid extensive coordination between all parties to ensure the continuity of essential services and protect infrastructure and citizens alike.

The Directorate of Public Works in Tafilah announced that it has carried out a comprehensive field campaign over the past weeks covering various areas of the governorate. The campaign focused on cleaning pipe and box culverts, removing silt from wadis’ channels, and establishing drainage channels in locations where water frequently accumulates. Technical teams also inspected and maintained old culverts and rehabilitated retaining walls at sensitive points that suffered from erosion in previous seasons.

Engineer Ammar Al-Hajjaj, Director of Public Works in Tafilah, stated that the directorate has developed a comprehensive emergency plan that includes distributing heavy machinery such as bulldozers, backhoes, and dump trucks at pre-designated sites to be ready for immediate deployment in case of any blockages or collapses. He added that field teams will remain on standby around the clock, coordinating with the operations room in the governorate and its municipalities, emphasizing that the goal is to maintain smooth traffic flow.

In the electricity sector, Engineer Bakr Al-Rawashdeh, CEO of Tafilah Electricity Distribution Company, confirmed that the company has completed its technical preparations to face any severe weather conditions. Maintenance teams conducted inspection rounds for all networks, overhead lines, and transformers, addressing any issues immediately and equipping field workshops with the necessary tools for rapid intervention.

Al-Rawashdeh pointed out that the company activated a central emergency room operating 24/7, coordinating directly with the governorate headquarters and Civil Defense Directorate to receive and handle reports. He stressed that the goal is to maintain the continuity of electric current and minimize outage durations as much as possible. He also noted that the company has started implementing development projects this year to enhance network capacity and improve performance under harsh weather conditions.

On the social side, Tareq Al-Rafou, Director of Social Development in Tafilah, said the directorate has developed a community support plan aimed at protecting vulnerable groups during the winter, especially needy families, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

In the education sector, Imran Al-Lasasmah, Director of Education in Tafilah, confirmed that the directorate implemented a comprehensive plan to ensure the safe continuation of the educational process during winter. All schools were inspected to verify the safety of roofs, electrical networks, and heating systems, and emergency teams were assigned in each educational district.

Al-Lasasmah emphasized that school principals were instructed to maintain continuous communication with parents and report immediately any issues that might affect students, stressing that student safety is the highest priority.

This year, Tafilah Governorate’s preparations show a higher degree of discipline and organization, with clear plans and task distribution among different institutions. However, field challenges remain, particularly concerning the aging infrastructure and high maintenance and operation costs.