Bangladesh today sent 100 tonnes of drinking water and five desalination plants to Maldives, joining India and China to help the island nation overcome the crippling water crisis in its capital Male.
Bangladesh Navy vessel BNS Samudra Joy departed from Chittagong port with the aid for the crisis stricken country this morning, Dhaka Tribune quoted Bangladesh Navy's press release as saying.
India became the first country to provide aid as it sent nearly 200 tonnes of water by air and dispatched a naval vessel on Friday. Today, an Indian Navy vessel and an Air Force aircraft carrying nearly 1,000 tonnes of fresh water reached Male.
China shipped 1,000 tonnes of fresh water to address the emergency situation yesterday. It has also arranged delivery of bottled water in two Chinese civil aircrafts to Male.
Male, located on a low-lying island in the Indian Ocean, has no natural water source and entirely depends on treated sea water.
A major fire broke out at the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (generator control panel on December 4, causing extensive damage to the cabling of the generator to the Distillation plants, disconnecting water supply.
The Maldives has appealed for aid from India, Sri Lanka, the US and China.
About 100,000 residents in Male have no access to drinkable tap water, the report said.
