Prelude to Gonu

Times News Service

MUSCAT –

News of the impending Tropical Cyclone Gonu making a landfall has led to a flurry of activities among the coastal villages in and around Muscat.

The citizens have given heed to the warnings issued by the ROP in the media and are bracing themselves up for the first of its kind stormy event.

The most significant activity was happening among the fisherfolk who began to beach their fishing vessels.

In Muttrah Corniche, people were seen buying their fish as if it was the last catch for the next few days while a large number of fishing vessels were already brought ashore by the fishermen.

Port Sultan Qaboos, is home for many yatchs, dhows including His Majesty’s Fulk Al Salama, apart from the big ships.

Here, many workers were in the process of taking protection measures for their vessels.

A visit to the areas like Muttrah, Sidab, Haramel and Al Bustan villages by Times of Oman showed that fishermen who otherwise would be counting the number of fish-laden baskets were engaged in heaving their ‘Al Boums’ to the shore.

Loud cries of ‘heaves’ and ‘hos’ were heard above the roar of the surf in the lanes touching the beach among these villages as the menfolk pulled all their boats to the shore.

Others were busy folding up the fishing nets and piling them up in neat rows next to the boats.

While the coastguard prepared their vessels for emergency operations, the rest of the small fishing and recreation boats like speedboats etc were ‘offshore’.

Even as the elders were protecting their source of livelihood, the youth were having a whale of a time watching the roaring sea, which seemed to pick up in strength even as the ETA of the cyclone drew closer.

A drive along the coastal roads revealed the raging sea which began to send high and huge waves crashing against the rocky coastline of the villages even as dark clouds gathered ominously above the sky in and around Muscat.

Huge waves also crashed into retaining wall along the Al Bahri road in Muttrah Corniche providing a visual spectacle to the few people who were out on the roads.

It was a similar scene along the other beach areas also. The Qantab beach which is a hot favourite for all the city slickers on normal days is surely going to be deserted for the next few days.

Owners of the two coffee shops cum restaurants on this beach told Times of Oman that they intended to shut shop as the sea water was already beginning to overflow from the beach.

Meanwhile, reports reaching from the Sharqiyah region have revealed that the heavy rains have pounded most the areas in and around Sur, Al Kamil etc.

Readers of Times of Oman when contacted in Bani Bu Ali and other areas stated that incessant rain since yesterday morning forced them to stay indoors as the streets in most towns and villages have been flooded.

Gusty winds also blew away the rooftop dish antennas on most houses while the inclement weather temporarily disrupted the telecommunications in this region.

Manufacturing plants shutdown

Tropical cyclone Gonu has also forced the temporary shutdown of two major manufacturing plants in southern Oman and most likely may also affect the operations of Port Sohar.

Oman LNG and Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO), the two major companies operating in the Sur region declared a holiday for their employees on Tuesday.

While there was no official comment on the shutdown, sources in Oman LNG confirmed that all employees were given a holiday effectively indicating that the plant was shutdown.

Similarly, OMIFCO officials also said that they had given a holiday for their employees on Tuesday.

The economic impact of these shutdowns is not clear as yet.

Meanwhile, the Port of Sohar which is around 200 kms north of Muscat has also taken precautionary measures in view of the impending cyclone.

Jan Meijer, CEO of Sohar Industrial Port Company which manages Port of Sohar said that depending upon the weather conditions, many of the large ships will be advised to stay outside the port area.

Construction firms and industries working in the low lying areas of the port have also been advised to take safety measures, said Jan while adding that the cyclone will not have a major economic impact on the long term operations of the port.

Unconfirmed reports have also indicated that the Sultan Qaboos port, which handles vehicles and containers, was also closed.