Deadlock in talks over Hulhidhoo
Councillor Shifaq said that even if the meeting had ended without a decision being made on the matter, the people of Vaavu atoll will not let the matter go.
By
Aminath Shifleen
The meeting held on Wednesday to discuss the complaints issued by the people of Vaavu atoll regarding the uninhabited island of Hulhidhoo, which is leased to a private company for farming, has concluded without any progress.
In 2017 a company called Aarah Investment was given Hulhidhoo in lease for farming, but the people of the atoll have been angry and protesting over the issue that no farming work is being carried out. The people’s protest at Hulhidhoo was called off after the government agreed to have talks regarding the issue.
As agreed prior, the meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon, consisting of relative authorities. However the discussion between the heads of the ministries and the people of Vaavu atoll remained inconclusive at its end.
Members of state that attended the meeting:
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Agriculture minister Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan
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Environment minister Aiminath Shauna
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Top officials from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the President's Office and the Local Government Authority (LGA)
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Officials from Aarah Investment
Although all the members of the Vaavu atoll council went to Male for the meeting, the meeting was attended by the atoll council president Shujau Ali and Thinadhoo council president Hussain Shifaq
Atoll Times had previously reported that minister Hussain Rasheed defended the agreement made with the company despite the atoll council's claim that the agreement for Hulhulidhoo had been nullified. The minister reiterated that the agreement remained valid. He said that the ministry had the power to annul it, but it has not been revoked.
At the meeting, the minister exempted from revealing the contents of the agreement. The main reason he cited was that if the case reached the courts, there was a possibility that his statements could be used against him by either party.
In addition to Hulhidhoo, the people of Vaavu atoll have complained that the same thing was happening in Anbara island, which is leased for tourism development.
During the meeting, environment minister Shauna said that she had received the complaints and hence would visit the island tomorrow to see firsthand how the work had progressed, or the lack thereof.
Thinadhoo council president Shifaq noted that the President's Office had previously noted that the government had\s had to pay large amounts of compensation in the past by cancelling agreements for islands leased under agreement. He responded to the government’s claim saying that the agreement of Hulhidhoo was null and void at the time of its creation and therefore he did not see why the government would need to compensate for it.
The atoll people say the agreement for Hulhulidhoo became null when the agreement allowed for tourism development on an island leased for agricultural purposes.
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The island was allotted for agriculture, but the island concept was designed to include tourism components such as a futsal turf, a cafe and water sports
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The council alleged that the island was allotted to reap undue advantage
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The island has been destroyed in the name of work; the natural lake has been filled, reclaiming land, and the jetty is built in a location that was not advised by the EIA
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A large portion of the reef around Hulhidhoo has been cut off to make way for a barge
Shifaq said that even if the meeting had ended without a decision being made on the matter, the people of Vaavu atoll will not let the matter go.
"In the meeting, we said we said we demanded the two islands, or would die trying. It will have to be one or the other," Shifaq said.
"This is the word of the people of Vaavu".
