Despite economic challenges, Fushidhiggaru can be reclaimed: Haider

Housing Minister Dr Ali Haider has said that the K. Fushidhiggaru lagoon’s land reclamation work planned to be carried out in the Male area under President Mohamed Muizzu's housing policy will continue despite the economic challenges facing the Maldives.

The minister was speaking at a meeting of the National Development and Heritage Committee (NDC) on Monday, held to discuss concerns raised by the public and MPs over his remarks last week on housing projects implemented by the previous government.

Kelaa MP Ibrahim Shareef questioned whether it would be in the best interest of the country to dredge a large area such as Fushidhiggaru lagoon by borrowing money at a time when the budget is so tight.

Describing the dredging of the lagoon as a “waste”, Shareef asked whom the lagoon is being dredged for, to give land to, when the ongoing projects and the dredged areas such as Giravaru lagoon and Gulhi lagoon could provide housing to many people. He asked how the money would be raised.

"This government will plan the cost [of dredging the lagoon] and how it will be built. We have decided to do these things and we will arrange the costs, how to procure them and how to do them," he said.

"We can also get money from foreign sources. We can also raise the money from other government projects”.

The project is a presidential promise of President Muizzu and his housing minister assured that the project will be carried out with financial arrangements. However, he did not elaborate much on how the money would be raised.

Haider added that the next best place to dredge was the Fushidhiggaru lagoon after other dredging sites in the city area were filled. Since it is a large area, it can be developed very well planned, he said.

Noting that the city is still congested, Haider said the dredging is being done with the intention of ensuring housing for the people living in the city in the future.

"We can't just give land to all the existing residents and then fold our hands. We have to think ahead and come up with a good plan for the next 20 years and also find more places to live next in the city area," he said.

The Finance Ministry had submitted a budget of MVR 1.4 billion for the next three years to dredge one of President Muizzu's biggest construction projects. The budgeted expenditure for the project, which is planned to be implemented under the Ministry of Housing, is as follows:

When so much money has been budgeted for the project, Maldives is currently facing major economic challenges and experts are warning that what happened to Sri Lanka is likely to happen to Maldives; a financial crisis.

Muizzu announced that 1,280 hectares of land will be dredged in the Fushidhiggaru lagoon. It is an area three times larger than the two phases of Hulhumale. They include: