While a large area of Giraavarufalhu, where land plots have been allocated to Male' residents, has been reclaimed so far, Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib stated today that the target is to complete the work entirely within the next three weeks and begin handing over the plots as soon as possible.
A total of 167.15 hectares are being reclaimed from Giraavarufalhu. The reclamation of 97.15 hectares, which remained unreclaimed when the plots were initially issued, began last January under the responsibility of MACL. Out of this, MACL has now completed 35 hectares.
"Our hope is to complete the land reclamation as quickly as possible, within three weeks, then conduct surveys and begin the work of handing over the plots as soon as possible. That is the government's thinking."Minister
Under the Maldives Fund Management Corporation Limited (MFMC), 70 hectares of land were reclaimed during the first phase of the Giraavarufalhu reclamation project. While a total of 167 hectares are being reclaimed across the first and second phases, a large percentage of the lagoon has now been reclaimed, totaling 105 hectares so far.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu visited Giraavarufalhu yesterday to observe the progress of the reclamation work. He was accompanied by cabinet ministers and heads of state companies.
Speaking to journalists at Giraavarufalhu, Minister Muththalib stated that although the current Land Use Plan is not exactly as desired, plots will still be issued to those who entered into agreements to receive land during the previous government. The Minister noted that while land has subsequently been designated for public use, there are difficulties in that regard.
"Our hope is to complete the land reclamation as quickly as possible, within three weeks, then conduct surveys and begin the work of handing over the plots as soon as possible. That is the government's thinking," Muththalib said.
According to the Minister, work on water, sewerage, and electricity will also proceed as quickly as possible. However, he stated that the top priority will be to mark the boundaries and hand over the plots to those who have received land as soon as the reclamation is finished.
Muththalib said that the registration process would begin before the reclamation is completed, and as registrations are issued, the work of handing over the land following surveys will also proceed.
The CEO and Managing Director of MACL, Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed, stated that 35 hectares of land have been reclaimed from Giraavarufalhu since the work was entrusted to the company.
"We are reclaiming at a very fast pace. The reason for the delay is actually because this is such a deep area. On average, reclamation in the Maldives happens in places that are two to three meters deep. If it were like that (if it were that shallow), we would have finished reclaiming this place, moved our equipment, and been home about two months ago," he said.
Shareef stated that this government is working to provide the housing needed by the citizens as quickly as possible, and noted that the company is using the world's largest dredgers specifically to complete the work quickly.
"MACL is reclaiming 97 hectares; 35 hectares have now risen above the water. Even if it hasn't risen above the water, a much larger area is being filled. Within two to three weeks, you will see a large portion reclaimed and rising above the water," he said.
"...If I were to give a figure, that is 3.5 million cubic meters (CBM) of sand that has already been poured into this deep area. Once approximately two million more are poured, it will rise above the water. We have already reclaimed 3.5 million CBM beneath the surface of the water."
According to the Housing Minister, this government decided to reclaim such a deep area to create land and provide housing in accordance with the President's pledge.
The President stated last week that the work of handing over plots from Giraavarufalhu would begin next June. Following changes to the Land Use Plan, it has now been decided to issue 4,072 plots from Giraavarufalhu.
Details of the number and size of plots in Giraavarufalhu:
- 2,605 plots of 1,250 square feet
- 1,213 plots of 1,650 square feet
- 253 plots of 2,050 square feet
- 1 plot of 2,450 square feet
To expedite the Giraavarufalhu reclamation, MACL is using one of the largest dredgers currently in the world, the Queen of the Netherlands, and the Oranje dredger.
The Queen of the Netherlands is a massive dredger capable of carrying 35,500 cubic meters of sand. The Oranje is a dredger with a hopper capacity of 22,000 cubic meters.
