Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has revealed the land reclamation project in Addu City has been mobilised to commence in September.
Speaking to PSM News regarding the project, Abdulla Sodiq, who is in charge of the Addu Project Management Unit, said the surveys required to commence the project were held from July to August. He said the surveys have been conducted to assess the areas where sand will be extracted, the impacts of the project on the environment, and the relocation of coral from the area that may be damaged. He said efforts are currently underway to prepare a report and submit it to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for the necessary permits.
The land reclamation is scheduled to start in March 2023 with the contractor beginning work on installing a bund wall in the area in an effort to minimise the environmental impact of the project. The land reclamation project initiated under the Addu Development Project will solve the land shortage in the city for the next 50 years, said the Addu City Council.
The Addu City Land Reclamation Project, worth USD 84 billion, was awarded to Van Oord India Private Limited and is conducted under a direct line of credit facility from the Exim Bank of India. The company is set to reclaim land from Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, and two islands within the confines of the lagoon for the purpose of tourism development. The reclamation project is estimated to be completed within 18 months. Additionally, the land reclamation projects in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo were awarded to Maldives Transport Contracting Company Ltd. (MTCC).
A total of 194.3 hectares of land is set to be reclaimed in Addu as part of the project.