Addu City Council has revealed that the fieldwork for the land reclamation project in Addu City has commenced.
Mayor of Addu City Ali Nizar said that the scope of the project includes laying stones and sand at both ends of the Hankede district in Addu as the first step. He said that the dredging work will be completed somewhere between August and September 2023. He also said that the Dutch company Van Oord India Private Limited is carrying out the dredging work for the development master plan. The Dutch company has met with the Addu City Council to share the latest information on the project.
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. An 11-km road embankment will also protect the area.