A total of 63 hectares of land has been reclaimed under the third phase of the Hulhumalé land reclamation project, with the government deploying additional dredging equipment to accelerate progress.
The second phase of reclamation in Hulhumalé began on 22 September 2023, aimed at allocating land to recipients under the Binveriya Housing Scheme. The first two phases of the project were awarded to Sri Lanka-based Capital Marine and Civil Construction.
To expedite the reclamation works, the government later awarded the contract to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). Reclamation work under MACL commenced on 10 November.
An additional dredger was deployed in November to further speed up the dredging process. MACL utilised a trailing suction hopper dredger from Boskalis, capable of extracting up to 22,000 cubic metres of sand in a single operation.
As a result, dredging of 40 hectares of land has been completed within two months, in line with the timeline set by the government.
Upon completion of the reclamation works, the government plans to commence registration of land recipients under the housing scheme, in accordance with the approved area plan. The handover of plots is scheduled to take place once plot demarcation is completed.
The land draw for the third phase has already been conducted among eligible recipients. Seven different plot sizes will be allocated under the project, with a total of 698 plots to be distributed.
Authorities have stated that with dredging works nearing completion, the reclaimed land is expected to be made available in the near future.