Male Mayor Adam Azim has attributed the heavy flooding that hit large parts of the capital overnight to the removal of high-capacity drainage pumps by government crews carrying out road works, without any backup system in place.
In a social media post, Azim said that after two years of sustained work to reduce the city’s chronic flooding problems, residents again faced inundated streets. He stated that the worst-affected areas lost their pumps because road construction teams removed them without a contingency plan.
The mayor noted that the Male City Council had previously acquired larger pumps to replace smaller units that proved inadequate. Once those higher-capacity machines were put into service, flooding impacts declined in several neighbourhoods. Their temporary withdrawal, he said, reversed those gains.
Azim highlighted the fragmented nature of the city’s drainage management, which involves multiple agencies and complicates rapid response during emergencies. He called for the pumps to be reinstalled promptly and for a single authority to oversee the entire stormwater system so that coordination improves.
He also urged all relevant institutions to work together immediately to deliver a lasting solution, arguing that the public should not have to endure repeated flooding after years of investment in mitigation measures.
National Disaster Management Authority teams, the Maldives National Defence Force Fire and Rescue Service, police, the Red Crescent and the city council have been deploying pumps and sandbags across at least ten locations in Male. Reports indicate dozens of homes, shops and other premises requested assistance as water entered properties.
Meteorological forecasts continue to warn of further heavy rain in the coming days, with seas expected to become rough in places. Authorities have advised residents to avoid flooded roads where possible and to stay updated on weather advisories.
