Male' City Mayor Adam Azim has attributed the severe flooding in the capital last night to the government's removal of water pumps without a backup plan.
In a post on X, Azim said that it is unacceptable for residents to face such hardship again after efforts over the past two years had successfully yielded effective solutions to the city's flooding issues.
"This issue escalated to this level because the water pumps in the most flood-prone areas were abruptly removed without any backup plan, citing road development work," Azim said.
Under Azim’s leadership, the Male' City Council had previously procured large-capacity pumps to address the flooding crisis. The deployment of these pumps had provided a solution to the capital's drainage problems.
Azim further noted that the fragmentation of Male's drainage system management across various institutions remains a major obstacle to its effective operation. He highlighted that this lack of centralised control leads to poor coordination and hinders rapid response during emergencies.
The Mayor called on the government to immediately reinstall the removed pumps and strengthen the drainage infrastructure.
"I call upon all relevant institutions to work together immediately to establish a streamlined management system for the drainage network under a single authority. This is essential to provide a permanent and swift solution to the distress faced by our citizens," Azim said.
