Addu City Council has revealed that 24,000 corals have been relocated to different areas under the Addu land reclamation project in effort to minimise the environmental damage caused by the project.
Van Oord India Private Limited has been awarded to reclaim land in six areas in Addu. The company said the biggest concern is the loss of beauty in various parts of Addu which have naturally rich coral reefs. Therefore, after discussions, it was decided to relocate the coral in the dredging area to other areas before the land reclamation begins.
Speaking to PSM News, the contractor of the project said that about 24,000 corals from three of the reclaiming areas have been relocated so far.
The scope of the project includes laying stones and sand at both ends of the Hankede in Addu as the first step. He said that the dredging work will be completed somewhere between August and September 2023. The fieldwork for the land reclamation project began in January.
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.