The government is working tirelessly to bring solutions to islands with a lack of adequate seawalls and sewerage issues, Minister for Cities, Local Government and Public Works Adam Shareef Umar has reassured.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Adam Shareef acknowledged that large parts of the capital Male’ had experienced severe flooding after heavy rainfall throughout Friday. The Minister said though the pumps to drain the flooding were functioning, the sheer volume of rainfall had led to knee-deep water in large parts especially on the west of the capital.
In addition to Male’, he noted that several islands across the Maldives also had to endure severe flooding. The Minister said the islands that had suffered the worst of the flooding mostly due to wave swell surges had been the ones with damaged seawalls.
Minister Adam Shareef blamed such neglect to lack of foresight and inadequate long term planning. He admitted that such major renovations and repair of infrastructure cannot be done overnight. However, he assured the people that the government was working tirelessly to implement its plans to resolve such issues faced by the country.
He insisted that these plans will offer long term solutions to these islands.
"Heavy rainfall causes a lot of sewerage problems and leakages especially in the island. This is because sewerage systems in the islands have been designed with no thought to the future or such natural disasters,” he explained.
The Minister noted that authorities have offered assistance and relocations to people displaced due to the flooding adding that authorities remain on standby with more rainfall forecast in the next 24 hours.