Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which is executing the work, stated tonight that 115 hectares of land have been reclaimed from Giraavarufalhu, where land plots have been allocated to residents of Malé.

A total of 167.15 hectares is being reclaimed from Giraavarufalhu under a contract awarded to MACL. Reclamation of the remaining 97.15 hectares, which had yet to be reclaimed when land plots were allocated, began last January.

MACL said 115 hectares of the 167 hectares earmarked for reclamation had been completed, representing 68 percent of the total work.

To expedite the reclamation work of Giraavarufalhu, MACL is utilizing the the Queen of the Netherlands dredger, along with the Orange Dredger.

According to MACL, Queen of the Netherlands is playing a vital role in this land reclamation project.

Under the Maldives Fund Management Corporation Limited (MFMC), 70 hectares of land had been reclaimed during the first phase of the Giraavarufalhu reclamation project.

The government previously targeted completing the reclamation of Giraavarufalhu by the middle of this year and handing over land plots to those who received them. Following changes brought to the land use plan, a decision has now been made to issue 4,072 land plots from Giraavarufalhu.

Previously, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, cabinet ministers, and heads of state owned companies visited the land reclamation site at Giraavarufalhu to inspect the progress of the work.

Speaking to journalists at Giraavarufalhu at the time, Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib stated that upon completion of land reclamation, water, sewerage, and electricity work will proceed as quickly as possible. However, he stated that top priority will be given to boundary-marking and handing over plots to plot recipients as soon as reclamation is complete.

Minister Muththalib stated at the time that registration work would begin before reclamation finishes, and as registrations are issued, the process of surveying and handing over land would proceed.