The Thulhaadhoo Island Council has expressed deep concern today regarding the accumulation of sand in the harbor channel, which is significantly obstructing vessel entry and exit.
In an official announcement, the council noted that the narrowing of the channel has led to widespread complaints from boat operators and is negatively impacting the local economy, particularly for the island's fishing community.
As a prominent fishing hub, the difficulty in navigating the channel has begun to hinder fishing businesses and general trade.
According to the council's announcement:
- Several vessels have run aground while attempting to enter the channel, resulting in varying degrees of damage.
- Cargo boats traveling from Malé face long delays entering the harbor, which has caused spoilage of certain goods and created challenges in maintaining a steady supply of food and essentials to the island.
- If a solution is not implemented soon, the island risks reaching a critical situation with severe food shortages.
The announcement further highlighted that these difficulties are casting a shadow over major government-led development projects on the island, such as the hospital construction and land reclamation for the airport, as vessels carrying essential materials for these projects are also struggling to use the channel.
"Due to these issues, the council continues to receive numerous complaints from boat captains, businessmen, and the general public," the statement read.
The Thulhaadhoo Council stated that they have sent 14 letters to the Ministry of Construction and other relevant state authorities requesting the channel be deepened, but have yet to receive a satisfactory response.
While no official word from the Ministry has been received regarding this specific complaint, records show that the government awarded a harbor development project for Thulhaadhoo to MTCC on August 21, 2023.
However, physical work on that project has not yet commenced. The current harbor being used by the residents was completed by MTCC in 2017.
