When Malé urban centre has 100% sanitation coverage, what’s surprising is that the groundwater of Malé contains high concentration of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide (sewer gas) methane and ammonium mainly as sewage leaks because of defective manhole housing .

According to Moosa Anwar, Director General at the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) the test carried out by the authority in January 2008 in the Fish Market area, indicated presence of “considerable amounts of hydrogen sulphide and ammonium in that area”. The test further indicated Malé groundwater has been contaminated with “animal and human sewage”.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/?page=details&id=65499&category=cTrOPir

In the TVM evening news on March 3, Mohamed Rasheed, MWSC’s Marketing Manager said the Fish Market area was a reclaimed area with garbage and due to that abnormally high levels of ‘hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide” were found in the well.
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=4196

However, an interview to the Minivan News on 16 march 2008 he says “This [land] was reclaimed some forty odd years before,” explained Mohamed Rasheed, engineering manager at the MWSC. Previously “it was a shallow lagoon, filled with weed…this must have decomposed.” This time according to Rasheed, gases found does not include carbon monoxide but ” hydrogen sulphide and methane”.
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=4244

What I do not understand is the role of MWSC’s Marketing Manager on this issue, why all this spinning by Mohamed Rasheed, MWSC’s Marketing Manager. It looks very fishy. When no sewage is sink into the ground of Male’…why on earth, groundwater is contaminated with “animal and human sewage” and sewer gas….MWSC has to answer this to public and to the families of those who have sadly died in the fish market well.

In the Haveeru report of 16 March MFDA said that it found high levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide in the water in a test carried out in January.

What we see is a blame game now. Can MFDA escape from accountability just because they informed Male’ Municipality prior to the accident? What did Male’ Municipality do to rectify the problem? Why aren’t the public informed of such tests and reports when the public ultimately suffer from the problems?

Just like the Ameeneege case we are seeing government authorities trying to blame other government departments.

Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority, the regulatory body for water and sanitation issues, has so far said nothing. It is as if 5 people didn’t die in that well from toxic gases. Doesn’t MWSA know that silence is not golden anymore?

Which parliament member has the courage to take these issues in the parliament? Or are our MPs still so busy with their own business interests since most Maldivian MPs are fat rich capitalist businessmen.

Talking about the issue of noxious gases in the ground water of Maldives’ various islands, I remembered about Sh-Makhandhodhoo (excuse my spelling if it is wrong), where the entire population had to be resettled at another uninhabited island Sh-Milandhoo (isn’t it!!!).

This specific problem needs much deeper effort not only on the part of the Government (which is very easily targeted for blaming) but also by the people. Maintenance of proper sewer system and disposal of organic wastes at safer sites could do a lot of benefit. The problem in Male’ city is definitely alarming, which is more so due to the soaring population, which like the unprecedented climate change effects, has rendered most of the city’s plans vague, like elsewhere around the world. The sewer system of Male’ (i) definitely needs a evaluation with respect to its efficiency and performance and (ii) connected to a either active sludge (very old technologically) or the new sequential batch reactor (SBR) unit which could be housed in some place within Male’ city (it’s not a very big unit though) to prevent the organic wastes from finding their way back to the ground water from the disposal sites. This will involve cost, but can prevent the sufferings of people to a very large extent. The same can be designed for densely populated islands all around Maldives. The products from such waste processing plants, the sludge and waste water, could be used for farming and hydroponics which is turning a new page in Maldives.

The people could also help either by reducing direct disposal of organic wastes, like fish wastes and other domestic wastes or by disposing them away from inhabited islands, like in a channel or so. The people need to practice biogas generation from fish and organic waste, which could be taken at a community level rather than individually, so that they can generate some biogas and also reduce the impact of organic waste around their environment.

At Bluepeace, we can start a public awareness program regarding this also.

The government of Maldives has established Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority (MWSA) in 1973 .it is one of the oldest technical institutions in the Maldives and also in the region. MWSA has done lots of work and produced lots of capable well trained Maldivians in the area of water and sanitation during the past 35 years. (But not during the last 6-8 years where a Monster has lead the office during that period). Unfortunately all of them have left the institution mainly due to forceful powers of previous health Minister and later because of unprofessional Iron Lady who moved there with powers from her husband.

Although MWSA has done lots of assessments and activities were planned, the work and was not materialized since the government has not fulfilled its obligations in providing funding for improving the sector. Even the professionals were removed from office. The case of Mr. Farooq Mohammed Hassan is well known to all, as he has tried to improve the water sector and regulate the Male’ Water and Sewage Company (MWSC). Mr. Farooq was later ended and moved at Ministry of Education. He has tried to strengthen the Institution and improve the sector without politicizing his work. There was a very good team who has worked there and left mainly because of the Monster lady who has damaged the whole institution, experts like Ahmed Zahid, Abdul Aleem, Hussain Shaheed, Mohammed Musthafa, Hassan Shaah, Mohammed Nihaam, ….…etc

Under government’s reform agenda, and the cabinet changes of July 2005, the president has decided to strengthen MWSA and increase its regulatory function, as it will be run by a governing board not to be ruled by the Minister but unfortunately this has not happened to date.

MWSA is a non functional institution now, and there are no capable technical people there anymore. There are no engineers, no water quality experts, no hydrologists, no surveyors, no legal experts, and no limnologists, NO NOTHING!

The institution is run by a PhD holder in Geography, who has damaged the whole environment sector especially ERC. This can be confirmed by contacting Mr. Amjad Abdulla, Executive Director of Environment Ministry. He has thrown 4 staffs and including an MPH holder since he (Dr) has joined MWSA during mid 2007. In addition there is traditional medicine practitioner; few katheebs and a vocalist who are running the institution now?

So imagine how these issues can be addressed by the regulator (MWSA), instead we have seen Marketing Manager of MWSC speaks about all the issues on business mind promoting his companies water while regulator is still sleeping same time ?????

There are lots of unanswered questions? How come male’ municipally allow the drain of waste water of fish market on to the ground? Why ground water is used from nearby by drainage site is used at Fish Market for cleaning the fish? Why wells of fish market are constructed without approval of MWSA? Why borehole is drilled without approval of MWSA? Why MWSA didn’t prepare borehole and drainage guidelines? Why Ministry of Health and Ministry of Employment didn’t prepare Occupation Health and Safety Protocols? Why Ahmed Abdullah didn’t allow a qualified water expert to run MWSA? Why MWSA’s Governing Board is not formed? Why MWSC speaks on behalf of MWSA?Why no water Act is formed in Maldives WHY? WHY?

GOD BLESS MALDIVES AND MALDIVIAN WATER SECTOR.

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/?page=details&id=65084