Thursday 25 Jun 2026
People swim at the Rasfannu beach in Male' City. (Sun Photo/Aaish Ashraf)
The water at the Rasfannu Artificial Beach will be tested for contamination, the Male' City Council has decided.
A 2024 study previously showed that the waters at Rasfannu were repeatedly polluted, prompting health experts to express concern over people continuing to swim in the area.
When asked by Sun, Male' City Mayor Adam Azim said the council would make a decision after testing the water.
Azim said he had instructed officials to conduct tests to determine the level of contamination. The council will comment further once the results are received, he added.
The mayor criticised the Construction Ministry’s previous redevelopment of Rasfannu, saying the work had been carried out carelessly.
“Just to say the ministry had completed it, done for the name. When it was finished, the mud and debris hadn’t even been removed or properly cleaned. You can see how it is. We recently cleaned the oil spill there too,” Mayor Azim said.
Health experts have long raised concerns about people swimming in the area, despite studies showing repeated contamination caused by sewage.
Two years ago, the Marine Biology Department of the Maldives National University (MNU) conducted a study showing that water quality at Rasfannu had been declining due to low water flow and the beach’s proximity to the city’s sewage outfall pipes.
Despite this, experts note that many people continue to swim at Rasfannu.
