Addu land reclamation project to commence in June

Housing Ministry states the mega land reclamation project in the southern city of Addu will begin in June.

Deputy Housing Minister Mohamed Yasrif told Sun on Tuesday that the lagoons of five islands will be reclaimed under the project.

He said that construction of bund walls in two of the islands is nearly complete.

“The construction of bund walls in 76 hectors of land in Maradhoo and Maradhoo Feydhoo is complete. And the construction of bund walls in the site in Hithadhoo is being carried out around the clock,” he said.

Yasrif said reclamation will begin in early June.

He said they expect the work won’t take much time.

“The boats will come and pour sand in the areas with the bund walls,” he said.

The project is contracted to Van Oord, a company from Netherlands.

The company had mobilized the equipment and machinery needed for the project in December.

194 hectors of land will be reclaimed in Addu under the project. The project also involves coastal protection of a 11-kilometer area.

Under the project, 90 hectors of land will be reclaimed in Hithadhoo, 23.3 hectors in Hulhumeedhoo, and 76 hectors in Maradhoo and Maradhoo Feydhoo. Land will also be reclaimed uninhabited islands for tourism.

The project which is funded with a USD 800 million line of credit approved by the Indian government via India’s EXIM Bank.