Pleading in pouring rain: 'Hand over Hulhidhoo'

Leading youth of Vaavu atoll tourism industry are protesting on an uninhabited island since Thursday morning, even through torrential rain. 

Carrying placards and banners, they call on the government not to turn its back on the people of an atoll that contributes millions in tourism taxes. They beseech the state to listen to them and return Hulhidhoo back to the people.

The protestors include local island authoritative figures, businessmen and leading tourism sector employees belonging to Vaavu atoll, and they were on the beach of Hulhidhoo, the little uninhabited  island near V. Thinadhoo, since Thursday morning with many appeals. The island in question was awarded to a private company by the government in 2016 for agricultural purposes. However, no agricultural work has been seen in the island so far, and neither the people of the atoll, not the state has benefitted from the agreement that had been made.

According to the people of the atoll, instead of any development, damage had been caused to the island.

"This island had a beautiful lake, but they had reclaimed the land by filling it up," said the atoll council’s president Ali Shujau.

"The jetty also was not built in  the location advised in the EIA, and they had cut off a large part of the reef to do so". 

He said while Hulhidhoo was leased for agricultural purposes, the concept of the island was designed to include tourism components; water sports, Futsal turf and a cafe included. Shujau described the concept as confusing and completely in contrast with the agreement made with the state.

There are 19 islands in Vaavu atoll, of which five are inhabited. The remaining islands are leased to businesses long-term. There are no islands in the atoll for the use of the people. Therefore, the people are hoping that the island of Anbara, which is in the same boat as Hulhidhoo will be given back to the people since the agreements made with them have been nullified.

It is also a pledge of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to return Hulhidhoo to the people of Vaavu Atoll. However, there is little hope of it happening while  the president is nearing the end of his term now.

Vaavu atoll council  president Shujau, who is also a member of MDP, said Hulhidhoo is now being used as a warehouse of Aarah company.

The negligence has been reported by the atoll's leaders through various government agencies,  all the way to President Solih’s ears. Shujau alleges that no action has been taken because the state is involved with the businesses.

The atoll people have also raised the issue of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) still not having visited the islands for any damage assessments, despite the work that has been done on the island against their EIA. The Agriculture Ministry had signed an agreement authorising farming in Hulhidhoo, but has not bothered to check on the development on these islands after seven years into the lease. Meanwhile, under the agreement signed, the Agricultural Ministry should regularly monitor such islands under their lease.

"The agreement was invalidated when the company did not meet the provisions dictated in the agreement, in the given time period," Shujau said.

"This is a great negligence on the part of the state; the private company is reaping the benefits from the government’s negligence."

The atoll council had visited the tourism ministry and submitted the complaint regarding Hulhidhoo. Shujau said that the response he got from the ministry was baffling.

Instead of looking into the violations of the private company, the ministry asked the atoll council if they would be capable of paying damage remunerations to the private company if the ministry decided to nullify the agreement made with them. 

"They asked if we would pay, and we said of course," Shujau said.

"We did add that the amount we should pay in damages should first be subjected to fine reductions due from the company for the violations and damage caused to the island."

Shujau said that the aspiration of the people of Vaavu atoll is to develop Hulhidhoo so that everyone can have access to it for leisurely purposes. He said that enough resorts have been developed in the atoll now and that the people needed an island for their own excursions, picnic and recreational activities.

Hulhidhoo is easily accessible, located close to the five residential islands of the atoll. 

Standing in the rain this Thursday, the people of the atoll are pleading for only one thing.