Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has stated that the Addu City road development project is going according to plan. The ministry made the statement after the Addu City Council voiced concerns over the project.
In a tweet, Mayor Ali Nizar said that the residents of Addu might have to face the consequences of the contractor and consultancy group hired for the project being based in the same country. He also said the city council has received numerous public complaints over the quality of the work, highlighting that residents expect the roads are built to last for a number of years due to the large state expenditure for the project.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister of State for Planning Akram Kamaluddeen said the government is closely monitoring the fieldwork of the project and that there is no need for concern. He said that the work is being conducted according to plan but that there might be delays due to uncontrollable natural occurrences such as the recent bad weather. He, however, said that the contractor is working to complete the project within the deadline.
The Addu road development project is being funded by the USD800 million line-of-credit provided by EXIM Bank of India. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih officially launched the fieldwork in March. The project, worth USD77 million, is overseen by India-based Afcons Infrastructure Limited.
The new roads have been designed to resolve the issue of flooding, with stormwater drainage systems being installed in Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo, and Meedhoo. The project would see the installation of 103km of stormwater drainage systems. A total of 107km of roads are set to be constructed across Addu which includes Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo, and Meedhoo. Additionally, 40km of the road would be built with tar and bricks and 67km of the road would be built by using a cement stabilised base layer.