President Mohamed Nasheed has raised the possibility of expanding Male’ by reclaiming land from nearby reefs.
”It is not impossible to provide shelter for all the citizens living in Male’,” said Nasheed, adding that the housing crisis could be mitigated “using technology”.
”Instead of looking east of Male’, another solution lies in the reefs at west of Male’,” he said.
Nasheed said that the reefs around Villingili, Gulhi, Thilafushi, Giraavaru and could potentially be reclaimed and and populated.
”As a result we can produce land, link them together and provide housing for people of Male’ and people living in Male’,” he said. ”It is something we could and most probably will do, by divine will.”
This week the president launched phase one of ”Veshi Fahi Male’,” a program to alleviate congestion caused in Male’. The city is the world’s most densely populated, with over 100,000 people living in just two square kilometres – a third of the country’s population.
Under phase 1 of the Veshi Fahi Male’ program, a total of 1,000 parties in the first category will be able to apply for housing schemes. This includes 500 housing units in Malé, 250 housing units in Hulhumalé, and 250 housing plots in Hulhumalé.
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Eh??? But Hulhumalé only looks to be less than 10% full and theres still an enormous lagoon to reclaim there that takes in club faru.
Finish off the Hulhumalé reclamation then build us all some new condos there, Malaysia style with underground parking and swimmming pools and a mega-mall. Then relocate everyone over there, and demolish most of Male' and start again with it.
Anni, two days ago you said there is no solution for the expanding Male'.
"Nasheed said that the reefs around Villingili, Gulhi, Thilafushi, Giraavaru and could potentially be reclaimed and and populated."
leave villingili out of this!!!!!!!!!!!!
The solution to Male's ridiculous population problem doesn't lie in the reefs either East or West of it.
The solution likes in ALL the islands of the Maldives. Bring in good long term structural changes that will stop the mass migration to Male'!
Expanding Male' will cause further congestion whichever way you do it. It's like building highways. You start with 2 lanes, increase to 4 and then you go to 8 and 12; at which point you realise that this will never stop.
If the government continues to expand Male' and the nearby "reefs", vritually the whole of the country will relocate here. If that's the policy of the government, then they better state that!
@Makunuvaa: You are right. President is talking bollocks again. Why waste money on reclaiming new reefs when we already have Hulhumale' already. Why not develop hulhumale and link is by oversea bridge to male'!. This Anni has his brains in his balls. The willy talks garbage all the time.
IS there an election coming up?
Anni talks trash all the time. And agreed with Makunuvaa. Hulhumale is what should be the biggest solution in tackling the Male' problem. But I feel like its being left alone to rot. Anni will probably start saying that he would connect all the islands through bridges for the 2013 elections. Maybe, just maybe, he might even take the risk of constructing a bridge between Maldives and Lanka? After all, he loves going "out of the chart".
I fully support Anni, but wildly reclaiming reefs is definitely not the right way. While the reefs he mentioned are not fully intact as we know, they still provide us the necessary breakers for waves coming into the atoll from the West and South.
Hulhumale' was made to relieve the congestion of Male' - so develop it and make it more attractive! Build a build for God's sake! Whatever.
But I agree with Fahaafoshi, leave Villingili out of this - upgrade it, yes, clean the beaches, but don't move any more people there.
Addu needs to be more developed, as well as the North and the remaining provinces, to make the people stay there.
Oh and... if at least half of the jobless people who are too lazy to work engage in some construction works or similar jobs "too low for Maldivians", we could get rid of some thousands of legal and illegal foreign work force too.
The Maldives in a Unitary State and not a Federal State, and according to the Article 20 of the Constitution, “Every individual is equal before under the law, and has the right to laws and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefits of the law.”
Furthermore, according to the Article 41 (b) of the Amended Constitution, “Every citizen has the right to residence to, and takes up residence on any inhabited island of the Maldives”.
These are inalienable rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Maldives, and according to the Article 66 of the Constitution “All existing Statutes, regulations, decrees and notices inconsistent with the fundamental rights and freedom Chapter shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, become void on commencement of this Constitution.”
Hulhumale development project was initiated in 1993 to provide free plots of land for the homeless in the Greater Male’ region, and not as a real-estate business venture to sell land for homeless.
The State providing free plots of land to build a house for eligible individuals is an old tradition in the Maldives, and in fact it is a customary law and still practice throughout the Maldives, presently except for the homeless in the Great Male’ Region.
In many parts of country, the Government has spent millions of dollars over the last decade for land reclamation to extent inhabited islands to provide free plots of land for individuals for housing. Some of these islands include Lhaviyani Nafaru, Fares-Maathodhaa, Ghaafu Dhal Thinadhoo, Raa Kadholhudhoo and recently for Thaa Atoll Vilufushi land reclamation 16.7 million euros has been spend, half this money was funded by aid agencies and the balance was to be obtained from a commercial loan. More recently, hundred millions has been spend for land relamation of Haa Alifu Dhihdhoo, Lhaviyani Naifaru, Noon Velidhoo, Baa Thulhaadhoo and Thaa Thimarafushi.
I totally agree with policy of free land to the people in accordance to our tradition, but what is mindboggling is that homeless in the Greater Male’ region have to buy land from Hulhumale, and free access to land in Hulhumale is denied. This is a violation of human rights of the homeless living in the Greater Male’ region and this too amount to discrimination and this policy of selling land is null and void in accordance of the Constitution.
"Hulhumale development project was initiated in 1993 to provide free plots of land for the homeless in the Greater Male’ region, and not as a real-estate business venture to sell land for homeless." (Ali Rilwan)
Well said.
Anni believes we're nuts.
How very environment friendly of our president... tsk tsk tsk
Anni is a wanker. He doesn't know what he talks.
I believe a bridge connecting Maldives to the Silk Route is the way to go. That's where all this ad-hoc reclamation will lead.