Ministry: MVR 3.3B needed to repair and maintain water and sewerage systems across Maldives

Environment Ministry has stated that approximately MVR 3.3 billion is required to maintain and repair water and sewerage systems across the Maldives.

Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office on Tuesday, Mohamed Musthafa, Director General of the Ministry's Water and Sanitation Department, said water and sewerage infrastructure on several islands has become significantly outdated.

He explained that an assessment was carried out to determine the funding required to upgrade, repair, and expand existing systems which placed the total estimated cost of the required works at MVR 3.3 billion.

"This estimate includes the Greater Malé area as well. Overall, we anticipate that this level of investment is still required. Currently, various projects are proceeding at a rapid pace to facilitate upgrades, extensions, and the expansion of these services," Musthafa explained.

Musthafa noted that water and sewerage systems have already been established in the majority of inhabited islands. In this regard, he detailed that sewerage systems are currently operational in 152 islands, with only 36 islands remaining, accounting for approximately five percent of the country's population.

Meanwhile, water supply systems have been established in 143 islands, and pending in 46 islands which represents around six percent of the population.

The Water and Sewerage Act previously required such systems to be established in all inhabited islands by August 5 of this year. However, Parliament, where the current administration holds a supermajority, approved an amendment last year extending the deadline to 2027.

The last MDP administration had initiated water and sewerage projects across numerous islands as part of efforts to ensure equal access to essential services regardless of the size of the island. However, several of these projects remained incomplete by the end of its term.

As the current administration works to complete the remaining projects, concerns have grown over the past year regarding the suspension or slowdown of several state-funded initiatives.