Equator Village building vacated amid road project delay
The previous administration initiated the project in 2023 with an estimated cost of USD 29 million (MVR 455 million).
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A section of the staff quarters at Equator Village in Addu City has been vacated after being occupied for several years, causing delays to the road construction component of the Addu Gan International Airport development project.
The previous administration initiated the project in 2023 with an estimated cost of USD 29 million (MVR 455 million). However, construction of the road was hindered due to land not being vacated.
Addu International Airport (AIA) Managing Director Mohamed Waheed confirmed to Atoll Times on Wednesday that the relevant portion of land at Equator Village has now been vacated.
“The place has been vacated. But it has not been handed over yet,” he said.
According to project plans, the road will pass through the section of the quarters used for staff accommodation. The laundry and kitchen areas are not affected by the construction.
Waheed noted that Kaimoo Hotels, the operator of Equator Village, has not engaged in discussions with AIA regarding the evacuation. The land in question had been allocated to Equator Village by the Ministry of Tourism, and AIA is unaware of the circumstances under which the land was vacated.
Waheed stated that:
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AIA had previously attempted to hold discussions with Equator Village regarding the evacuation.
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AIA had offered compensation in the form of rooms in an adjacent building (with repairs included) or land equivalent to the space to be vacated.
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Six or seven rooms were identified for evacuation according to the development plan.
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No response had been received from Equator Village regarding the compensation proposals.
The building used for staff accommodation was officially handed over to the company by the Ministry of Tourism.
AIA earlier stated that the land occupied by the staff quarters was not part of the original lease agreement with Kaimoo Travels and Hotel Services for operating Equator Village. The company had expressed concern that land not originally included in the agreement had later been registered as part of it.
