Male' Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) has stated that the capacity of the stormwater management system in Male' City will be doubled to prevent flooding.
Flooding in Male' City has been a long-standing problem and recent heavy rains have caused flooding in homes and offices. It also hindered pedestrians and disrupted public transportation.
Speaking to PSM News, Managing Director of MWSC Abdul Matheen Mohamed said the stormwater system is installed on Kanba Aisa Rani Hingun and Shaheed Ali Hingun in the north and on Ameenee Magu and Buruzu Magu in the south of the city. A total of 16 pump stations collect water from 218 points in these areas. Each pump station can collect 400cbm of water per hour.
Additionally, Matheen said the system can drain 5,000cbm of water within an hour but it was designed to drain water once it settles. Therefore, the system is able to drain the water within two hours. He also said that the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure is working on solving the flooding issue while MWSC is mainly responsible for the design, maintenance and operations of the existing system.
As such, Matheen said that MWSC has held discussions with the relevant state agency to quadruple the capacity of pump stations to prevent damage to private property during heavy rain. Meaning, two more pumps will be installed in each pump station.
Furthermore, Matheen said the flooding issue in Male' City will be mitigated with the completion of the Ameenee Magu redevelopment project. He also said that the pipes connected to the stormwater system in Ameenee Magu are being widened.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that USD130 million in grants was arranged during his recent trip to China. He said that a significant portion will be allocated to the development of roads in Male' City.