Saturday, December 23, 2006

Malé the most congested, maybe..?

It is very likely that Malé is the most congested in the world. It is estimated that around 48,007 citizens per square kilometer live in Malé. The closest rival is Cairo, hmmm! a close connection some where maybe ?. This has and will cause a lot of problems in the long run, unless some people acted on it. Problems like health issues, crime and other social issues are on the rise. Hardly anyone addresses these issues and measures are taken.

One of the biggest reasons why Malé is so populated is almost everything is centered in Malé. Good education compared to others islands, health and job opportunities. Most people are forced to leave their homes in the islands and live in Malé. Here some times 5 or 7 people share the same room or even worse. The rents are up so high. An average one room apartment costs MRf 5,000 (USD 389) per month, when the average salary is about MRf 2,500. This is amazing. Its hard to imagine how most people survive in Malé. Yet we see a country blooming, at least thats what we are told.

It is said that the quality of education has badly gone down over the last few years. I don't know how true this is but its been a widely talked subject. The increasing number of vehicles is the other problem. Hardly you can find a parking spot, if you own a car its even worse.

There is nothing much anyone can do in Malé. Except of-course the usual coffee sessions and burning of fuel unnecessarily. The new means of entertainment is politics for the grownups and brown sugar for the young.

2 comments:

jaheen said...

and the ultimate solution is... settle down in a foreign country?

Anonymous said...

In trying to turn little tropical islands into Cairo you are making a little Karachi.