The previous government had wholly ignored advise and expertise of engineer while laying the drainage system for Malé city, managing director of the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company has said.

Adam Azim, who was recently appointed to the position, said he found himself disappointed by the way in which the previous government had lain the water drainage systems and the ‘Malé Storm Network’.

Azim said that the advice of engineers was ignored and the system and network are defective by design and that ‘taxpayer money has been wasted’.

He further said that while Ameenee Magu is one of the roads most prone to flooding from rain, there has been no mechanism installed to drain water, adding that had the previous government installed a pump station there, water collected on the road can be drained within 30 minutes.

Azim said that it is shameful for spending money collected from taxpayers ‘pointlessly’ and that more money has to be spent to correct the issue.