Afcons fails to finish survey before deadline; no action possible

A survey conducted by India's Afcons Infrastructure after rejecting an assessment done by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) over the damage caused to Villimale reef by a Self Evaluating Platform (SEP) that ran adrift during the Greater Male Connectivity Bridge (GMCP) works had stalled due to bad weather, EPA announced Wednesday.

On 16 August, the SEP used to drill boreholes required for the GMCP bridge pillars had gone adrift amid strong currents while it was being driven to be anchored to the main hull. Drifting with the current, the platform had run aground on the outer Villimale reef, injuring the three people on the platform when it had crashed.

A week after the crash, local NGOs advocating for environmental conservation began protesting the delay in the dislodging of the platform, and expressed their concern regarding the damage this delay could be causing to the reef.

The platform was dislodged 11 days later. The eight days after that were spent on clearing away the underwater debris caused by the crash, and EPA managed to conduct their damage assessment after the cleanup was done.

EPA had published photos taken by diving into the area where the platform was located. The photos showed that large craters had been dug in the Vilimale reef and that the corals of the reef had been destroyed.

EPA had earlier said that they would soon publish the amount Afcons will be fined with, along with damage assessment details. However, EPA has been unable to publish its findings due to Afcons failure to respond to the survey report.

The Indian contractor later rejected EPA's findings, contesting the scope of the damage area measured, and asked the agency to allow its own survey. EPA granted seven days which had expired. 

EPA Director General Ibrahim Nayeem told Atoll Times on Wednesday that after Afcons is now not time-bound to carry out its survey.

When asked how the EPA would accept the Afcon's survey as the deadline had also expired, Naeem said EPA will only consider its survey in deciding the fine. He, however, did not specify when action would be taken against Afcons.

If Afocs does not accept EPA's survey, it may go to court. Naeem also said that Afcons would have the option to take the case to court.

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