HDC Begins Relocating Uprooted Trees to Hulhumalé Channel Park
Photo: PokmanMV
Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has begun relocating trees removed from the ongoin Boduthakurufaanu Magu road development segment to the Hulhumalé Channel Park area, following public concern over the uprooting of mature trees in Malé.
The relocation comes after decades-old shade trees were uprooted from the Atoll Fihaara area, opposite Malé’s North Harbour, as part of the Boduthakurufaanu Magu expansion project. The trees stood along pavements in a busy market zone used daily by pedestrians, shopkeepers and harbour users. Before the removal of the trees from the ongoing road development area, President Mohamed Muizzu greenlit the removal of two banyan trees which were over a century old in Vilingili. He came to the decision during a meeting held with the resident of Vilingili, after he asked those present to vote on whether to remove the trees. Majority of the present voted to cut the trees down.
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HDC has started relocating trees removed from the ongoing road development segment to the hulhumale Channel Park area. pic.twitter.com/2wNeUY9vdJ— Pokman 🇲🇻 (@PokmanMV) December 22, 2025
Environmental NGO Bluepeace, criticizing the removal of the trees from the road development area, said road expansion could have been directed towards the harbour side instead, allowing the trees to remain.
The Atoll Fihaara and North Harbour area experiences heavy daily activity, including market foot traffic, loading and unloading operations and vehicles accessing the harbour. The uprooted trees had long provided shade and relief from heat in the congested area.
