Council urged to suspend permits of construction firms violating safety rules

A proposal has been submitted to Malé City Council calling for the suspension of permits issued to construction companies that repeatedly violate safety regulations or carry out work that endangers public safety.

The proposal was presented by Maafannu North councillor Hussain Furushan during the council's official general meeting on Tuesday, following recent incidents involving construction sites in Malé.

Speaking at the meeting, Furushan expressed concern over the risks posed to pedestrians and nearby properties by construction activities conducted without adequate safety measures.

He referred to an incident in which a bag of sand fell from a construction site and narrowly missed a pedestrian. He said the incident could have resulted in serious injuries or loss of life.

Furushan also highlighted another incident in which cement fell from a construction site onto a motorcycle parked on the street, causing damage to the vehicle.

According to the councillor, the cement fell from a construction site where work had been carried out without obtaining the necessary approval from the council.

Furushan called for stronger enforcement measures against contractors who repeatedly breach regulations or fail to maintain safety standards.

"To prevent these incidents, the council must introduce stronger measures, including suspending permits issued to parties that repeatedly violate regulations or operate in ways that could result in safety incidents," he said.

He also proposed that suspended permits should not be reinstated until the council had verified that the companies concerned had implemented the required corrective measures.

The proposal received support from Malé Mayor Adam Azim, who described it as an important measure for improving public safety.

Azim said construction work without the required permits, unauthorised alterations to buildings and construction activities carried out without adequate safety precautions had become common in Malé.

He said these practices posed risks to the public, regardless of whether the work was being undertaken with or without the necessary permits.

The mayor supported Furushan's proposal and said it should be referred to the council's Urban and Planning Committee as soon as possible for further consideration.

The proposal seeks to establish a procedure for suspending construction permits where safety violations are identified and ensuring compliance with corrective requirements before work is allowed to resume.