City Council Focuses on Data Safety Following the Fire

Male’ City Mayor Adam Azim has reaffirmed the council’s commitment to safeguarding critical documents and data, especially in light of unexpected crises, following a fire that severely damaged the Green Building last Thursday.

The Green Building, home to multiple government offices, was rendered uninhabitable after the blaze. Among the affected offices were the Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure, Ministry of Environment, and a branch of the Male’ City Council.

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The fire particularly impacted the council’s office, with key documents related to Male’ area residents, birth and building registries suffering significant damage. Despite the destruction, staff are actively working to recover and organise salvaged documents, which are currently being sorted at Maafannu Madharusaa.

Speaking to local media, Mayor Azim criticised the lack of proactive measures and digitalisation efforts, which he said had left the council vulnerable. He highlighted that documents had been manually recorded for over two decades, emphasising the importance of transitioning to a digital system to prevent similar losses in the future.

Azim stated that the council’s immediate priority is to assess the extent of the damage and identify lost documents. He assured that efforts are underway to recover critical records through the Department of National Registration and local courts. He added that his top priority since assuming office has been establishing a system to ensure the safety of data and documents in such incidents.

Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh reported that among the recovered materials are details of Male’ area residents dating back to the 1950s, birth certificates, building schematics, and records of structural changes to buildings. Nareesh explained that while a significant amount of data has been saved, the full extent of the loss will only be clear after the sorting process is completed.

The department, which handles around 40 newborn registrations daily and provides birth certificates for elderly citizens, is urging the government to quickly secure a functional workspace for its 50 employees.

The ministries displaced by the fire have temporarily relocated to Dharubaaruge as of Sunday.