One thousand nine hundred thirteen recipients of land from Giraavarufalhu have formally requested to relocate their plots to Gulhifalhu, the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development has revealed. The government facilitated this relocation opportunity in response to concerns regarding the lack of sufficient space for developing essential infrastructure and services in Giraavarufalhu.
The relocation is part of the Binveriya initiative, a project launched by the previous administration led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The initiative aims to provide land plots to residents of Malé by reclaiming land in both Giraavarufalhu and Gulhifalhu.
The ministry’s announcement includes the relocation of 193 land plots of 1,250 sq. ft., 663 plots of 1,650 sq. ft., 487 plots of 2,050 sq. ft., and four plots of 1,650 sq. ft. However, due to the high demand for relocation from the 1,250 and 1,650 sq. ft. landowners, the ministry stated that the recipients would be decided in a draw. The date for the draw has yet to be announced.
In a statement, the ministry revealed that all recipients of 2,450 and 2,050 sq. ft. land plots who wish to relocate to Gulhifalhu would be allowed to do so. The statement also included a list of those who wish to relocate to Gulhifalhu.
The government extended the opportunity to land plot recipients in Giraavarufalhu to relocate their plots to Gulhifalhu in response to the limited space available in Giraavarufalhu for the construction of essential infrastructure and services, according to the ministry. The ministry also announced plans to revise the land-use plan of Giraavarufalhu to better accommodate future development needs.
The reclamation project of Gulhifalhu, initiated by the Solih administration, was completed on 16 April, resulting in a reclaimed area of 192 hectares. However, the land plot recipients who requested to relocate from Giraavarufalhu to Gulhifalhu will be accommodated in a proposed reclamation area of 85 hectares. The commencement of work on these additional 85 hectares, as announced by the current administration, is still pending, with the start date for the reclamation work yet to be determined.