Bottled mineral water cases of 1,500 tons donated by China have been left unattended at a vacant space in Hulhumale' for two months.

The cases are to be used to supply water when islands face shortages, the Foreign Ministry said previously.

But the bottled water cases have been left inside the compound of a temporary mosque in Hulhumale' since they arrived. The cases bundled in hundreds of pallets were covered with canvass.

As the water was left unattended, some cases appear to have been opened. There were also signs of squatters and drug use.

Mattresses used for sleeping at the former mosque where the water cases were kept. -- Photo: Adhadhu

Islands running out of drinking water during the dry season is a problem faced annually in the Maldives. According to an audit in 2022, the state spent MVR 40,696,771 to supply water to a total of 390 islands from 2014 to 2019.

Water was supplied to 61 islands in 2014, the study showed. But five years later, the government needed to provide water to 82 islands in 2019, an increase of 34 percent. The state's expenditure for supplying water grew 2.3 times in five years.

In light of this, the government has faced criticism for leaving donated water cases unattended for so long in a place with open access to the public.

However, the government has not taken any action so far to either safely store the water cases or send them to islands.