Council decides to bring additional pumps to solve flooding issue amid gov’t inaction
Previously, water in Malé was being drained using pumps similar to those used for bilge pumping on boats
Malé City Mayor Adam Azim near the pumps
Malé City Council has decided to bring two additional pumps to address the flooding issue in the congested capital Malé City during heavy rainfall, as the government has not made adequate efforts to solve the distressing issue.
The council decided to bring two additional pumps at the 187th official general meeting of the council's fourth term, held on Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting, Malé City Mayor Adam Azim said that the pumps are planned to be used in the Henveiru district of the capital city. Mayor Azim also said that making Malé a comfortable city is one of the main priorities of the council.
Mayor Azim said that the first two pumps brought by the Malé City Council have now been handed over to Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Fire and Rescue for operation and maintenance, and these two pumps are mainly being used in the Maafannu district, which is the most flood-prone area in Malé City.
The Malé City Council handed over the operation and maintenance of two water pumps to MNDF Fire and Rescue on Tuesday. These two pumps were handed over to MNDF after they were used to drain water from flooded areas in Malé after the heavy downpour experienced on Tuesday evening.
After handing over the pumps, Malé City Mayor Adam Azim said that the two pumps brought by the city council have been handed over to MNDF Fire and Rescue for operation and maintenance to protect citizens from the damages caused by heavy rainfall in Malé. Mayor Azim also profusely thanked MNDF for their efforts in saving citizens every time Malé floods.
In addition to this, Mayor Azim said that he hopes these two pumps will greatly facilitate MNDF's work.
The first two pumps brought by the Malé City Council were also brought after special studies conducted by the council's technical team. Each of these pumps drains water 10 times faster than the pumps currently used in Malé.
The two pumps brought by the Malé City Council earlier this year for water drainage are pumps that can be placed inside water canals and can expel three-inch wide solids through pipes. Mayor Azim said these pumps can expel 11,356.24 liters of water per minute. He also said that previously, pumps that expelled 1,300 liters and 900 liters per minute were being used in Malé for water drainage.
Previously, water in Malé was being drained using pumps similar to those used for bilge pumping on boats.
