The Maldives government handed over the land allocated for waste management in the reclaimed Industrial Village of capital Male to the Ministry of Environment and Energy on Tuesday.
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muizzu awarded the symbolic document to Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim at a ceremony held in the Industrial Village early Tuesday.
Noting that the largest land plot of the recently reclaimed area is allocated for waste management, Housing Minister Muizzu declared that a solution to Male’s waste crisis will be provided once the Environment Ministry undertakes and completes its development.
“The citizens of Male pay great expenses every year to dispose and manage waste. The waste also causes huge problems for school children and locals. In order to find a permanent solution to this, President Yameen decided to undertake a special project,” he said.
Environment Minister Thoriq announced plans to award establishment of a waste collection centre in the Industrial Village to the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO). He explained that the waste will be weighed and sorted at the centre, before being shipped off to the neighbouring waste management island of Thilafushi for disposal.
“The specialised waste collection vessels can dock directly at this area,” he added.
The government had tasked state-run WAMCO with finding a solution to the capital’s waste crisis. Accordingly, the corporation had launched a major project, under which it is acquiring the necessary vessels for waste management while also waste collection services to Male’s households. The government has also allocated MVR 100 million (USD 1.5 billion) in the State Budget 2017 to establish a waste disposal system in Thilafushi next year.
The Industrial Village project of MVR 170 million has seen 4.5 hectares of land reclaimed at the southwest coast of Male. Once its development is completed, the government plans to transfer industrial places such as garages and warehouses from within Male City to the area.
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