President seeks written consent from Fulidhoo for land reclamation

President Mohamed Muizzu has said that land reclamation for housing in V. Fulidhoo will only proceed if residents submit a written statement confirming that they support the project.

Speaking during a visit to Fulidhoo on Friday as part of his tour of four atolls, the President said no land had been allocated to Fulidhoo residents for 15 years due to a shortage of available land. He said one of his main pledges to the community was to add 12 hectares of land to the island, primarily for housing.

According to the President, the reclamation would form part of a planned harbour project, but the government would only move forward if residents agreed in writing.

“The intention is to dredge 12 hectares for housing as part of the port project. But I want to ensure that people have no objection to this,” he said.

The President explained that the government wanted to avoid a repeat of the situation in B. Dhonfanu, where a reclamation project was cancelled after protests. He said the project in Fulidhoo would be delayed until written confirmation was received from the council on behalf of residents.

If the letter is submitted, reclamation work is expected to begin early next year.

President Muizzu also outlined other planned developments for Fulidhoo, including:

The President also referred to the Dhonfanu reclamation project announced last month, which was cancelled after environmental groups and members of the public expressed concerns about potential impacts on the Hanifaru Bay Biosphere Reserve and tourism.

He said the decision to begin dredging in Dhonfanu had been made following requests from residents, but was later cancelled after information was received that the project was no longer needed. Dhonfanu residents have since held protests calling for the project to resume.