The flooding issue in Male’ City is worsened by several factors: the lack of proper drainage systems, widespread littering, and even the presence of cat waste.
Sun Online International
The ongoing discussion about road problems in Male’ City, seems never-ending. From narrow pathways endangering pedestrians to pothole-riddled roads posing risks to drivers, the urgency to address these issues is clear.
But one of the biggest challenges, especially as the monsoon season approaches, is flooding. When heavy rains hit, the city faces severe flooding, exacerbating existing road problems. This flooding issue is worsened by several factors: the lack of proper drainage systems, widespread littering, and even the presence of cat waste. Inadequate drainage leaves the city vulnerable to water buildup, turning streets into streams during downpours. And the littering problem only makes it worse, as garbage blocks already struggling drainage systems, making flooding more likely and cleanup efforts harder.
To make matters worse, there's the added issue of cat waste, which adds to the sanitation and safety concerns. With debris, trash, and cat faeces piling up, pedestrians and drivers have to navigate through hazardous conditions, risking their health and safety.
As the problem continues to persist, there has been an increasing need to address the flooding issue in the city. With this, the Government of the Maldives is now looking to take proactive measures, as the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure along with the Road Development Corporation (RDC) initiates a new project in order to finally address the flooding issue.
The work we're starting today is being carried out by us [Infrastructure Ministry] in partnership with MNDF and RDC to find a temporary solution to these flooding issues. To attempt to provide relief to the solution, especially in this area, ahead of the June/July storms
Although there is a need for a long-term solution to the flooding issue in the city, as the rainy monsoon season has already started in the Maldives, the current project aims to find a more temporary solution, which involves cutting out a sea wall which will create an outlet for the water. In addition to this, the project will also ensure that manual pumping is done on top of the cut-out in the sea wall as an additional measure when necessary as well.
On top of these temporary solutions, the minister also stated that the Government will be prioritising efforts to mitigate the effects of the bad weather, which is likely a result of climate change. These negative issues are being faced all around the world, not just in the Maldives as Bangladesh faces extreme difficulty in day-to-day life due to extreme heat while Pakistan is faced with yet another year of heavy destructive downpours during the monsoon season as well.
