Malé council approves MVR 550,000 recreation project in Villimalé

Malé City Council has approved plans to develop a recreation area in Villimalé for residents of the Greater Malé region, with MVR 550,000 allocated for the project.

The proposal was approved at the council’s official general meeting on Wednesday.

Presenting the proposal, Deputy Mayor Mikaeel Mohamed Riyaaz, who chaired the meeting, said developing such a facility was part of the council’s responsibility to promote community wellbeing and create an accessible environment for residents.

The council approved a budget of MVR 550,000 for the project.

Mikaeel said the area would be developed as an accessible recreation facility for residents of the Greater Malé region and would include a multi-purpose hall.

The site would also be designed to accommodate camps organised for school activities, including Scout and Girl Guide programmes.

Mikaeel said the multi-purpose hall could also provide an additional source of revenue for the council. Discussions on how the facility could generate income are continuing at committee level, he said.

According to Mikaeel, the concept for the project has been shared with all councillors. However, the concept was not presented publicly during Wednesday’s meeting.

Councillors who spoke in support of the proposal said developing a camping facility in Villimalé could address difficulties faced by Scout and Girl Guide groups when organising camps outside Malé, particularly during periods of poor weather.

They also said a recreation area in Villimalé would provide residents of the Greater Malé region with another location for leisure activities.