Malé City Council announced requesting the removal of vehicles parked in the Carnival area until the work is completed, as preparations are underway to begin demolishing the Carnival stage.
In an announcement, the City Council stated that the iron truss structures built over the stage in the Carnival area have rusted, broken, and parts of it are falling off.
Therefore, to ensure the safety and security of people entering and leaving the area as well as vehicles, the City Council said work to dismantle the iron parts of the stage, remove those items, and clear the area proceeded yesterday.
The City Council said it requests vehicle owners, drivers, and those in charge of vehicles parked in the Carnival area to remove their vehicles and clear the space before 11:30 p.m. last night. The City Council also requested to keep the area clear until the stage dismantling work is completed.
Malé City Council also published an announcement last month seeking a party to conduct a land survey of the Alimas Carnival area.
The decision by Malé City Council to modernize the Carnival area was made in July 2024. Adam Azim, who was also serving as the Mayor of Malé at the time, expressed concern over the severe dilapidation of the Carnival area and the potential risk of injury to people using the space.
Therefore, the City Council issued an announcement in 2024 seeking a party to demolish the Carnival stage and build a new stage in its place.
Among the bidders who submitted proposals for the project, the work was awarded to a company named UH Investment Private Limited in March of last year. The project was contracted for MVR 4.8 million.
However, before the work could begin, the agreement with UH Investment was canceled after the council discovered the existence of a prior agreement. With no further work taking place at the location since then, several issues also surfaced regarding the way Malé City Council maintained its records.
Alimas Carnival was opened by the government in 2004 to mark the 75th anniversary of Majeedhiyya School. The stage in the carnival was used for political events and music shows. However, the venue has now fallen into severe disrepair.
