Never ending saga between the City Council and WAMCO

One of the biggest issues in the inhabited islands in the Maldives is the streets. Whether it is the poorly structured roads, or the piling trash- the beauty of the Maldives has definitely been lost in some parts of the country, especially in the capital city of Male’.

It might not be that visible if you’re a visitor staying in the country for a day or two, but if you live in the capital city of Male’ it is hard to ignore these things, especially on a rainy day. While most people enjoy rainy days by cosying up or getting a hot drink with friends, rainy days are dreaded by most who live in the capital city. Whether it is the clogged up drains causing the roads to be flooded or the waste getting mixed up with water, there is nothing pleasant about taking a walk on the streets of Male’ on a rainy day.

But the major question is why we have these issues with trash when the Maldives has an allocated party for waste collection and a ministry overlooking the cleanliness of the city? The Watste Management Corporation (WAMCO) plays a major role in the waste collection within the Greater Male’ Area, however, one walk down the streets of Male’ city on an unfortunate day might paint a bad picture of the company.

While they are supposed to keep public areas clean and collect waste on a timely manner, the issue surrounding waste piling up on the streets of Male’ city keep getting bigger as time passes. The noticeable odor and pssible health issues due to contimaniated waters that people walk in on rainy days, and the smells on the streets even on a normal day keeps many from enjoying a walk outside.

At a press conference held on 28th December 2022, the Male’ City Council Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu warned WAMCO, accusing the corporation not following waste disposal protocols. During this press conference Dr Muizzu claimed that the reasoning for the irresponsibility on WAMCO’s side included political motives and requested residents to stop leaving trash outside their buildings as WAMCO is responsible for collecting waste from individual households.

In addition to holding WAMCO responsible for their failure in keeping the City clean, the Mayor also urged residents to do their part in keeping the Maldives clean and safe for everyone.

While Male’ City Council used to have a contract with WAMCO in order to keep the city clean, on September 2022 the City Council decided not to renew this contract citing high costs and lack of efficiency for the large sum of USD 161,000 paid to WAMCO every year.

WAMCO had expressed their concern over this decision by the City Council, stating that the job of waste management in a sustainable manner is costly and the two institutions parting ways would only add to the costs as Male’ City council using their own vehicles for transportation for transportation of waste would be more costly than the operation they have been carrying out so far.

Regardless of the disagreements and concerns, the two parties separated and Male’ City Council decided to take up the task of keeping public areas such as parks trash free into their own hands.

Even though WAMCO and City Council exist to keep the city tidy in general, we can also play our own role in ensuring that our waste is properly packed and easy to dispose of as well as adhering to the timings allocated by the parties responsible for waste collection.

MFR covered this subject previously on: WAMCO vs. Male' City Council