The Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Climate Change has stated compensation must be sought for the environmental damages caused by the causeway connecting Madaveli and Hoadedhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.
The statement was made in the inquiry report prepared on the environmental damages of the Madaveli-Hoadedhoo Causeway. The report was passed with votes from 61 parliamentarians.
In the inquiry report, the parliament committee stated environmental damages were incurred on both islands due to the causeway, pointing to the frequent floods caused by tidal surges associated with the construction of the causeway. The committee stated this is the result of gross negligence from those involved in the project, adding compensation must be sought from the relevant parties for the environmental damages caused by the poorly designed causeway. The committee also called on the government to begin the project for a new causeway under an alternate design which mitigates the environmental damages on the islands.
The construction of the causeway connecting Madaveli and Hoadedhdhoo was contracted to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) in 2016. The causeway, which is 440 metres long and 7 metres wide, was built at a cost of USD 1.88 million.
Due to the inadequate provision in the causeway design for water circulation in an area with large currents, the construction of the causeway led to high-pressure tidal surges flooding the islands frequently. In 2018, a group of residents from the two islands cut off the causeway due to the frequent floods. However, the area has since been filled and reconnected.