The gravest problem in Muscat faced on Friday was an acute shortage of water.

There was frantic search of bottled mineral water, and soon many supermarkets started running out of stock. Drinking water was not available!!

The authorities quickly swung into action. Besides mobilising tankers to supply directly to households, 12 'water points' were opened in various parts of the city where people could go and collect enough quantities without any charge. Also, two trailers with mineral water were sent to the Ghubrah and Baushar areas.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) joined in by throwing open four of its water filling facilities to the public. "Anyone with a tanker is welcome to go to any of these centres and collect water free of charge. They can in turn supply the water to the people and we will bear all the expenses," Royal Oman Police's Lt. Col Abdullah al Harthy, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Control (NCDC), said.
He said "very rigorous measures" would be taken to apprehend tanker owners charging excessive rates. "They will be prosecuted. People can call and inform us about such people. Give us their names and vehicle numbers," he added.
Colonel Harthy said engineers were working hard to restore main line water supplies, adding that households in Qurum and adjoining areas could expect resumption soon after Friday midnight .
Piped water supplies to Ghubrah, Baushar and all other affected areas would restart by Saturday. There was plenty of water in the city's three main tanks.
Some supermarkets, including both the Lulu hypermarkets in Darseit and Baushar, were distributing mineral water to citizens and residents free of cost.
We are still in the crisis stage.
Referring to complaints of shortage of foodstuffs in shops, he said: "At the government level, we have stocks for the entire nation for six months... There will be no crisis of food." Work on the vital road to Al Amerat, severely stricken by the cyclone and cutting off the thickly populated Al Amerat and Quriyat areas from the rest of the governorate, was in full steam on Friday.