Gov-Male’ City council dispute over vacating Maafannu cemetery for parking zone

Male’ City Council and the state are in disagreement over vacating the Maafannu cemetery in order to develop a parking zone.

The government has made the decision to empty the cemetery to develop a parking zone, that would help accommodate vehicles parked on the road. In order to make roads accessible to buses, Majeedhee Magu will be made a non-parking road.

Sun has come to know that the government has requested City Council to create a parking zone in the area.

Speaking with Sun about the issue, the Deputy Mayor of Male’ City Ahmed Nasreesh revealed that the council has asked the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to grant permission in order to develop the parking zone on the cemetery land.

“Islamic Ministry said that cemetery can be emptied according to certain regulations. That is to manually shovel without using an excavator, separate the soil and bones, which is to be placed into bags.”

Moreover, he said that once they received that permission a request was forwarded to the government to empty the area as per the set regulations.

He added that as soon as the area is empty, the council will commence work on developing the parking zone.

Nareesh stressed that though the council takes on the responsibility of developing the parking zone, emptying the area was for the government to do.

While only a specific part of the cemetery is to be used in making the parking zone, it is unclear how big of an area it would be.