The Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has revealed that the land reclamation project in Addu City has been completed.
The ministry stated that the contractors are now constructing shore protection structures around the reclaimed land. Under the project, 76 hectares were reclaimed in Maradhoo and Maradhoo-Feydhoo and 80 hectares were reclaimed in Hithadhoo.
The Addu City Land Reclamation Project was awarded to Van Oord India Private Limited and the Maldives Transport Contracting Company (MTCC). The USD103 million project saw the reclamation of 228 hectares of land in Addu.
As per the project, Van Oord India reclaimed land in Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, and Maradhoo-Feydhoo while MTCC reclaimed land in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo. The project stands as the most extensive land reclamation initiative in the Maldives. It serves as a solution to the housing challenges in Addu and aims to generate additional economic prospects for the region.
The government also aims to bring 8,000 tourism beds into operation in Addu. Hankede is one of the regions in Addu that specialised in tourism and includes hotels, guesthouses, and other tourism-related businesses. As such, around 25 hectares in total were reclaimed to form three islands for resort development while five hectares were reclaimed in Hankede. The newly reclaimed islands near Hithadhoo have been named Dhondheeni Hera and Boli Hera while the island near Meedhoo has been named Dhon Hera. The project is currently in the early stages and the government aims to complete the development of Hankede within the next two years.