We have seen rains and flash floods but nothing has been as painful as experienced on Sunday. All lives are precious, but to know they were off to study and be with their friends and teachers until rains proved fatal.
Life is unpredictable as they say, but it makes us wonder were some situations preventable?
Parents went through stress on Sunday wherever they were in Oman and whoever they were because they could relate to the emotion and the anxiety.
The experience has made many wonder should we opt for online classes by default whenever there is an unstable weather condition predicted. The topic is too sensitive as of now, and we can only hope everyone will heal soon.
We need rain and the byproduct is the flash flood. It is a geographical feature of Oman, and we just have to embrace it. Rains are more frequent, maybe so that is another factor we have to accept.
There are more than 60 wadis in Oman draining to the ocean and desert. And they are dry most of the time until rains come. Then there are other wadis that have permanent pools. But none of these features are predictable during rains. Water gushes out causing waterfalls and channels until they develop the force of a running river to reach the ocean or the desert. They take everything on their path and stops for no one. The force of the water is so strong that even the best of swimmers would find it a Herculean task, if not impossible.
Wadi Daykah dam site was evacuated, and Wadi al Hijri and Al Mussallam reached the market square of Nizwa. In Wadi Bani Khalid water expanded flowing through roads uprooting the tarmac causing damage.
During this period, Samad al Shan has been in the focus. The loss has been heavy. After all it was only rain.
Probably we have to look at the wadis as invisible rivers.
The invisible ones who come into action when there is an emergency are the members of the rescue operation teams. We see them and we admire them and soon we forget about them as we move on with our lives. But the images of what they had seen and endured will remain with them almost forever. Each event is another series of tragedy and stress. But the people who have gone through the biggest shocks of their lives are the family members of the victims.
The water will move on, and even dry up but what about these scars. There is no time to blame anyone but to accept that the tragedy has occurred and focus on what can we do about it.
Life is indeed unpredictable for we were just coming from celebrations of Eid not knowing what was in store for us.
Time to look at how we can cope with what has happened and hope the families gain the strength to bear the loss.
Not to forget the classmates and teachers who would miss the little ones, once the regular classes begin.
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