Construction of a Bridge Connecting North Thilafalhu, Giraavarufalhu and Thilafushi to Begin Next Year

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced last Thursday that financing for North Thilafalhu, Giraavaru, and Thilafushi bridge will commence before the end of next year, with other technical and administrative work already underway.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Parliament for the new term, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced efforts to secure funding and a contractor for the acquisition of an additional 85 hectares of land in Gulhifalhu. He added that a contractor has already been signed to develop roads and establish basic amenities in Gulhifalhu. Additionally, he confirmed that the land acquisition process in Giraavaru Falhu will resume soon.

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“The land already reclaimed from the Hulhumalé lagoon will be fully developed by July this year. We also assure that those allocated land from the reclamation projects in Gulhifalhu, Giraavaru Falhu, and Hulhumalé lagoon will receive their plots as soon as the land registration process is completed,” he said.

The President stated that despite delays caused by various hurdles, the government aims to complete the reclamation of Rasmalé land by the end of this year. Initially, the project, announced last year, was expected to be completed by October. However, while the government had previously claimed that state funds would not be required, the company awarded the project was unable to proceed, resulting in the contract being voided. The project is now being funded by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

“The government aims to complete land acquisition by the end of this year and begin infrastructure development, including roads and housing projects, by 2026,” he said regarding Rasmalé.

President Muizzu also revealed that the government is working to construct 4,000 social housing units under concessional financing from India. Additionally, 150 hectares of land will be reclaimed from North Thilafalhu for housing development.

He assured that the list of beneficiaries of the 4,000 flats in Hulhumalé Phase 2—constructed with a loan from Exim Bank of India under the previous administration—will be announced this month. He added that the process of handing over the flats would be completed by September.

Addressing the housing issue in his speech, the President stated that MVR 1 billion has been allocated in this year’s budget for providing housing loans at a 5 percent interest rate for the construction of housing units and flats on private land. The application process for the scheme is now open, with loan disbursements set to begin in July.

“The housing crisis in Malé is at its peak. Malé City is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It is evident that this issue has not received adequate attention over the past. Therefore, I see resolving this crisis is my foremost social responsibility,” said Dr Muizzu, who previously served as Housing Minister for seven years in past administrations.