Local Government Authority has said that all public services for residents of Haa Dhaalu Hirimaradhoo will now be provided through the Hanimaadhoo council, as the island currently does not have a separate elected council.

An LGA official said that although Hirimaradhoo will retain administrative staff for now, service delivery will be fully handled by the Hanimaadhoo council in the same atoll.

He said residents should continue to receive services “without difficulty, as before.”

The arrangement comes amid government plans to relocate the population of Hirimaradhoo to Hanimaadhoo, citing declining population levels.

As part of the transition, no councillors were elected for Hirimaradhoo in thelocal council elections held on April 4. Instead, residents voted under the Hanimaadhoo constituency.

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has been tasked with developing housing units and municipal infrastructure in Hanimaadhoo for Hirimaradhoo residents, with completion targeted within one and a half years.

President Mohamed Muizzu had earlier issued a decree declaring Hirimaradhoo temporarily uninhabited while relocation arrangements are implemented.