The second phase of the Gulhifalhu reclamation project is set to start in April.
The project was contracted to a dutch company, Royal Boskalis Westminster, in October 2019 for EUR 120 million (MVR 2 billion). The company has now mobilized the project site and started preparations to begin the dredging work.
An area of 198 hectares was dredged under phase one of the Gulhifalhu project. An additional area of 150 hectares will be dredged under the second phase of the Gulhifalhu reclamation. The land is being dredged so that the international commercial port in Male' can be relocated to Gulhifalhu and developed as a regional commercial port. Residential land plots will also be issued from the newly dredged area.
According to Boskalis, about 18 million cubic meters of sand will be needed to dredge the land. The company said it would install revetment to protect the reclaimed land.
The Planning Ministry said boundary walls are already being erected at the reclamation site. Dredging will start in April, and the work will be completed before the end of this year, the ministry said.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the area was prepared before the start of the dredging project. Boskalis said the project would be carried out in an environmentally friendly manner.
