On 12 December 2024, a fire that broke out in the building housing the Ministry of Housing spread uncontrollably to the adjacent Green Building where the Ministry of Environment was operating, burning it to an unusable state.

More than two months after Environment Ministry staff were temporarily relocated to the Dharubaaruge due to the Green Building fire, some ministry employees who spoke to RaajjeMV revealed that they remain in "difficult conditions" that are not conducive to work, describing their work environment as a "refugee camp."

An employee who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the staff there are seated similar to a mess room, lined up at long tables right next to each other, with three employees sharing one table. The employee stressed that there is no place to keep their belongings and that it is not adequate for work at all.

According to available information, when the Green Building burned down, its server was also destroyed. Attempts to salvage the hard drive have so far been unsuccessful.

An employee further noted that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) are now saying they might be able to save "some of it" and that if the server cannot be recovered, all the documents will be lost. They added that they were working with whatever documents staff happen to have in their possession through various means and that there are no records or documentation at all.

In addition to this, staff members that were relocated to Dharubaaruge still don't have enough computers. Some employees are working on their personal computers. Due to the government's lack of attention to providing equipment, some employees have obtained computers for the office by connecting with well-wishers on their own initiative, as things were getting delayed.

Another employee stressed that things are in such a poor state that there's nowhere to keep anything and that they have to put their belongings on chairs, or even on the floor.

According to the employee, despite these conditions, the ministry's budget still cannot be utilized.

Stressing that they are having to spend from their own pockets to get things done, another employee highlighted that they have been saying they would reimburse the employees "later". According to the employee, senior officials have been telling the employees to go ahead with trips and they would sort out the expenses "later". Highlighting that there are ongoing matters, and some trips that the employees simply cannot avoid making, the employee noted that however, there is still no way to even fuel the vehicles.

While concerns remain about the numerous personal valuable items lost when the building burned down along with ministry property, employees now face another worry while waiting for things to normalize.

This new concern stems from the recent merger of the Environment Ministry and Tourism Ministry into a new ministry.

An employee working at the Ministry of Tourism and Environment explained that currently, the employees are in a state of even more confusion because of the merging of the tasks of both ministries, and that it is causing further delays in using the budget.

Highlighting that the Finance Ministry sometimes says the two business areas of Tourism and Environment can be kept separate, the employee stressed that other times, they are told that it should be one business area.

The employee stressed that they can only start using the budget once this business area issue is settled.

According to the employees, the merger has also raised questions about the job security of some long-serving Environment Ministry employees. With administrative and financial staff from both previously separate ministries now coming under one department, there are rumors that some employees might lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, with the dissolution of the Environment Ministry, its Permanent Secretary lost their position, and after the Tourism Ministry's Permanent Secretary was dismissed due to the Minister's preference, the newly formed Tourism and Environment Ministry now faces difficulties operating without a Permanent Secretary.

While temporary arrangements at the Dharubaaruge continue to pose challenges for staff and services, the Minister, who initially had an office in a Dharubaaruge room, has now relocated to the more comfortable ministerial chamber at the Velaanaage building where the Tourism Ministry operated.

An employee who described the situation revealed that these situations have severely lowered employee motivation and that now, employees are saying that their office is gone, their ministry is dissolved and that everything is "dissapearing".

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in a press conference revealed that the modern Green Building, built with millions of Maldivian Rufiyaa from both the Indian and Maldivian governments, burned down due to government incompetence.

MDP claimed that despite having adequate time to save the building, the lack of attention led to its destruction.

The building remains in its burned state. Employees continue to wait for better days ahead.