The Maldives Transport and Contract Company (MTCC) has begun preparations to commence the development of the harbour in Maafushi, Kaafu Atoll. MTCC has brought in the machinery and resources and is currently mobilising the project site.
In January, the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure contracted MTCC to develop the harbour. The state-owned company is tasked with completing the project at a cost of USD5 million.
The scope of the project consists of 63,711cbm of new harbour basin dredging operations, 28,836cbm of maintenance dredging operations, 4,414cbm of channel dredging operations, and the construction of a 31m breakwater. It also includes a 680m rock boulder revetment, a 700m geo bag revetment, the construction of a 374m quay wall, the construction of a concrete jetty, the construction of a bridge, installation of a harbour pavement and installation of harbour lights.
Maafushi consists of 2,000 residents but has a population of 5,000 when accounting for workers. The island is popular for its local tourism industry but is facing challenges related to its harbour, which is in a deteriorated condition and lacks sufficient space to accommodate the increasing number of dinghies, diving boats, and speedboats. The high traffic from visitors and fishing boats further compounds the issue. As a result, residents have expressed their desire to see the development of the harbour to improve the travel and transport system and to accommodate more vessels to support local economic growth.