The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is preparing to revive the stalled land reclamation work in the Fushidhiggaru lagoon, a crucial component of the Mohamed Muizzu administration’s flagship Rasmalé project.
President Muizzu inaugurated the Rasmalé project on December 18, 2023, with the goal of addressing housing challenges in the greater Malé area. However, the project has faced setbacks, resulting in only 29 hectares of reclaimed land. Initially, 10 hectares were reclaimed, with an additional 19 hectares completed in July. These areas fall within the designated “site J,” which remains incomplete.
Now, HDC aims to recommence the stalled reclamation efforts, focusing on “site F.” This 24-hectare area will undergo sand collection from the same borrowing site south of Malé Atoll, previously used for site J. According to an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report published by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), work on site F is scheduled to begin in August.
The Rasmalé project faced controversy from the outset, as President Muizzu launched it in direct defiance of the parliament’s decision to redirect MVR 400 million from the 2024 Budget—initially allocated for the Rasmalé project—to other ongoing housing projects initiated by the previous government. Despite earlier denials of project delays, media reports and social media outcry forced the administration to acknowledge on 29 March that the project had been stalled. President Muizzu then provided a new timeline, promising completion by year-end.