No usage of waste in land reclamation

During a consultative meeting with the residents of Hulhumalé Phase 1 yesterday, Sunday, December 21, 2025, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu firmly dismissed allegations that the government is using waste for land reclamation. 

The issue was raised by a resident who claimed to have evidence of "rubbish" being buried under a thin layer of sand in a reclamation area. The resident expressed strong disapproval, stating that such practices were unacceptable for any government.

Responding to these concerns, the President stated that the administration does not use waste for land reclamation and clarified the situation after consulting with Ali Zuhair, the Managing Director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), who was present at the meeting. The President explained that during the reclamation of land near Farukolhufushi, existing debris from the site was cleared, and rock boulders were placed nearby as part of the structural process.

"... Then, further away from that area, we reclaimed it using sand, just as it is usually done," the President stated.

He suggested that observers might have mistaken these construction materials or the clearing of existing site waste for the active use of trash as fill material.

"No place will be reclaimed by filling it with waste. That is not how the government conducts such projects. These are managed under international contracts, and reclamation is carried out only after conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)," President Muizzu stated.

According to the latest project updates, the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has successfully reclaimed 40 hectares of the planned 63 hectares for Hulhumale' Phase 3, marking approximately 63.5 percent completion. 

President had previously stated that the reclamation of Hulhumalé Phase 3, being developed to provide land plots for Malé residents, would be entirely completed by the end of this month.