Letter to President to halt reclamation of Hithadhoo Moolekede area

An environmental group in Addu City has requested the government to halt the planned reclamation of the Moolekede Fishimathi area in Hithadhoo.

The government had earlier decided to reclaim the area following a petition from some residents of Hithadhoo, who called for the link road to be straightened and for issues such as foul odors in the area to be resolved.

However, the Thimaaveshi Project, an environmental organization based in Addu has appealed to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to stop the reclamation. The group handed over a letter to the President yesterday while he was greeting residents during his visit to Addu City.

The letter stated that relatively few people had signed the petition submitted in support of the project. Of the 5,439 people living in the Moolekede area, only 122 had signed, the group said. It added that even if reclamation goes ahead, it would not solve the land shortage or odour issues faced by Hithadhoo residents.

“The project is likely to cause illegal waste disposal and congestion,” the letter noted.

Thimaaveshi Project also highlighted that the site lies close to the Addu Nature Park- one of the city’s oldest protected areas and functions as a buffer zone. Stakeholders, therefore, oppose any reclamation of the site.

The organization further stated that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report already includes an alternative development plan for the area, which proposes building a pedestrian bridge instead of dredging. The group and opposing residents have endorsed that plan.

The letter emphasized that their proposals are non-political and urged the government to reconsider and stop the reclamation project.