After a pause, reclamation work at Hulhumale’ Phase 3 has started up again.
Capital Marine and Civil Construction (CMCC) has been contracted by Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to perform this job. A total of 63 hectares of land will be recovered as part of this project.
Since the project’s inception in September of last year, 23 hectares of land have been reclaimed.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) issued directives that temporarily stopped reclamation because of the possibility of widespread coral bleaching in the reefs of the Maldives. With approval from the EPA, the operation has now restarted, and the remaining 40 hectares of land are being reclaimed.
According to HDC, the reclamation process would be hampered if certain boats that were docked in the nearby lagoon weren’t removed. They urged the owners of the vessels to get them out of the region as soon as possible.
The project, which cost MVR 259.2 million (about USD 16.7 million), has been turned over to CMCC. According to earlier statements from HDC, the expenses will be paid for by selling 9.8 hectares of Thilafushi land and 10 hectares of Hulhumale’ land.
In order to give land plots to Male citizens under the former government’s Binveriya housing program, Hulhumale Phase 3 is being reclaimed. Of the 9000 land plots that Male inhabitants are to receive, 1000 are located in Hulhumale alone.