Sewage leaks in Malé prompt concerns over health risks
Residents of Maafannu ward in Malé have raised concern over health risks posed by untreated sewage leaks in their homes and the streets amid a bout of heavy rain and stormy weather
28 Aug 2016, 9:00 AM
Residents of Maafannu ward in Malé have raised concern over health risks posed by untreated sewage leaks in their homes and the streets amid a bout of heavy rain and stormy weather.
Flooding is an annual problem between June and September in the congested capital, home to some 116,000 people, causing sewers to overflow. The main reason, say civic planners, is that the sewage infrastructure has not kept pace with rapid expansion of residential areas.
A 33-year-old resident of the Handhuvaree Hingun street, requesting anonymity, said that the sewage outlet at his house overflowed and flooded the kitchen last week.
“A similar thing happened to our neighbours: their toilet started spewing sewage water,” he said. Officials from the Malé Water and Sewerage Company, a state-owned enterprise in charge of maintaining Malé’s sewers, carried out an inspection and told the household that the “sewage levels in the catch pits were ten inches above the level it should be.”
Become a member
Get full access to our archive and personalise your experience.
Already a member?
Discussion
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
No comments yet. Be the first to join the conversation!
Join the Conversation
Sign in to share your thoughts under an alias and take part in the discussion. Independent journalism thrives on open, respectful debate — your voice matters.
