Muizzu’s Villimalé banyan tree saga exposed as political theatre

It has come to light that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s handling of the Villimalé banyan tree issue was yet another performance.

It has been revealed that President Muizzu, who recently announced the removal of two troublesome banyan trees in Villimalé, had already attempted to remove them during his tenure as Mayor of Malé City.

One of the trees stands near the police station, while the other is located in the Water Sports Beach area, where its expanding roots and branches have caused extensive damage to nearby homes.

Speaking to RaajjeMV, a former resident of the area stressed that the tree’s roots penetrated their house, forcing toilet repairs every three months, and noted severe ant infestations linked to the issue.

The resident said the matter was first raised when the area fell under the Ministry of Environment, and efforts were made even then to secure a solution. Later, when Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik was the MP for Villimalé constituency, he too was approached, but the issue remained unresolved.

During former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration, multiple attempts were made to address the problem, and numerous complaints were submitted to the Malé City Council. However, with the council holding an MDP majority and the land under the authority of the Ministry of Housing at the time, the resident said the issue was then taken directly to Muizzu when he served as Housing Minister.

The resident added that after Muizzu became Mayor of Malé City, the City Council was again approached. At that time, they were told the removal was being processed through a bid and that a swift remedy was expected. Some branches extending toward the house were cut on several occasions, but no further action followed, and the resident said they were never told why the removal stopped.

The resident said they were surprised when recent news suggested the decision to cut down the tree was based on a vote by Villimalé residents, raising questions about the earlier claim that removal work had already been bid out. While residents acknowledge the trees are very old, the resident argued that if they are not removed, then affected families should be relocated with housing provided elsewhere, as the area has become unlivable and the issue demands an urgent solution.

He concluded that the current push to remove the banyan tree in Villimalé has now been reduced to a political game conveniently timed with elections.