HDC asks not to dive in Rasmale' dredging area

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has advised people not to dive in the area being dredged for the development of Rasmale' in the K.Fushidhiggaru lagoon.

The dredger will be used 24 hours a day to dredge sand from sites C and E of the Rasmale' dredging project. The company has also released a chart of the area where the dredger will be used and how the dredger will travel.

HDC said it is not safe to anchor or dive in the areas marked on the chart. The corporation has also advised people to pay attention to safety while traveling in the area.

For more information, HDC asks to contact its hotline 1516 or email [email protected] and [email protected].

The reclamation of Rasmale' commenced on December 18, 2023, with an initial eight-month completion target. The first agreement for the project was signed with Sri Lanka's Capital Marine and Civil Construction (CMCC), but this contract was later terminated by the government, which aimed to proceed without allocating land to the contractor. Consequently, the reclamation work has experienced intermittent halts for various reasons.

The HDC said on Friday that two 45,000-tonne hopper dredgers and an 11,000-tonne hopper dredger will be used in coming October to dredge Rasmale', Gulhifalhu, Uthuru Thila Falhu and Hulhumale Phase III lagoons.

The Rasmale project is the largest project launched by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to bring a permanent solution to the housing problem in Maldives. The President has decided to develop about 11,000 social housing units in the area as an environmentally friendly eco-city.