After four days of waterlogging due to the heavy rains, authorities have cleared some neighbourhoods in the Sharjah city of Kalba on Friday, allowing residents to return and assess the aftermath. Unfortunately, many homes bore the brunt of the flooding, damaging furniture, electronics, utensils and other homeware.

Upon re-entry, many residents were left heartbroken by the sight of their homes left in shabby conditions. “The floodwater has damaged furniture, electronics, utensils, and other homeware, leaving many households in disarray. Many of our belongings like clothes, food, books, and much more have been lost in the floods or are damaged to the state that they cannot be reused,” said Ashar Abdullah, a businessman and a resident of Al Khuwair in Kalba.

“The draining of water has not only caused damages to houses but also the accumulation of dirt within homes,” said Ashar.

The residents are navigating through the consequences of the flooding that gripped the town for the last four days. “As waters gradually recede in certain areas, we are allowed to visit our homes to assess the extent of the damage,” said Abubakar Siddique, a pharmacist residing in Al Khuwair.

“The authorities have drained the water from Al Khuwair and the compounds of our homes are mushy as the water was logged for a while,” said Siddique.

As the muddy residue settles, it is an added complexity to return to normalcy, to clean and restore their properties. “This is now a daunting task for us. We have to throw away all the damaged goods from our houses and then the usable ones must be placed elsewhere so that we clean our homes,” said Ashar.

“This entire process will take more than five days for us if it doesn’t rain in between,” Added Ashar.

Community bond

In these tough times, neighbours and friends are joining hands, offering support to clean homes and properties. “Two days ago, I sent my wife and children to my brother's place in Sharjah. I have to clean the house in the next few days to welcome them home,” said Ravi Puttoor.

“Many of my friends’ homes are still waterlogged and they have come to help me to clear the mud and clean our properties so that we can return to normalcy as soon as possible,” said Ravi.

Ravi also pointed out that Emiratis were quick to offer help. "Many of them saw us cleaning up and they invited us join them for lunch and dinner.

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