B. Dhonfanu Council has stated today that the government's decision to drop the land reclamation project on the island was made without any consultation with the council. They called on the government to begin the project as earlier planned.
During a visit to Baa atoll last month, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu contracted MTCC to dredge 13 hectares of land from the lagoon of Dhonfanu to resolve the housing issues faced by the island's residents.
However, as Hanifaru Bay, a protected area since 2009, is located just 1km away from Dhonfanu, environmental organizations and members of the public called on the government to drop the reclamation plans. They raised concerns that dredging so close to Hanifaru Bay would cause irreversible damage to the protected area.
Following widespread public concern, the President announced this morning that the land reclamation of Dhonfanu will no longer be carried out.
This led to residents of Dhonfanu staging a protest outside the council offices today.
In a post on X, the president said that he has now been made aware that the public does not approve of land reclamation in Dhonfanu.
However, a statement issued by the Dhonfanu Council - made up of three MDP members and two independent members - claimed that the government's decision to halt the land reclamation project had been made without any consultation with either the council or residents.
The council accused the President of lying for having stated that the public does not wish for the project to proceed.
"While land reclamation is one of the projects most wanted by residents, it is highly concerning that the government made this sudden decision to drop the project without consultation with residents," the council's statement reads.
"We call on the President to reverse this decision made against the wishes of residents and the council, and to address any challenges and proceed with the land reclamation project at the earliest to find a solution for the housing difficulties as per the President's pledge at the earliest," it said.
The last time land plots were issued in Dhonfanu was in 2011. Based on requests from residents, the government had earlier decided to reclaim 13 hectares of land from the Dhonfanu lagoon. This is about double the size of the island itself.
