Calls to halt reclamation of Hithadhoo’s Moolekede area

A protest was held yesterday in Addu City’s Hithadhoo against the planned reclamation of part of the Moolekede area for road construction.

The demonstration, organised by Project Thimaaveshi, a local environmental NGO saw more than 30 young people join in, many paddling along the area as a form of protest.

The government plans to reclaim 2.5 hectares of land from the area to straighten the link road.

Project Thimaaveshi said that the reclamation would destroy a large number of kandoo (small-leaved orange mangrove) plants, saying this would cause severe environmental damage to Addu City.

The group noted that the area also contains a small mangrove wetland, which plays a key role in protecting coastlines and reducing flooding.

“The satisfaction that these kinds of perfect natural environments bring us is a heritage that cannot be priced in money. They cannot be recovered from extinction,” the group said in a social media post.

The NGO added that Addu’s environment has already suffered significant damage due to the reclamation of more than 260 hectares of land in recent years, and criticised the implementation of such projects without consultation with local youth or the wider public.

Project Thimaaveshi has also launched a petition opposing the reclamation of the Moolekede area.