Once developed, Kudagiri picnic island will be full of greenery: Azim
The rest of the facilities are being developed jointly by five state-owned enterprises under CSR
The picnic island is being developed for the leisure of the residents of Malé City
Kudagiri island of Kaafu Atoll, will be full of greenery once the island is fully developed, stated the CEO of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Adam Azim.
The picnic island is being developed mainly for use by the residents of Malé City , the congested capital . Designating a picnic island for Malé residents is one of the incumbent government’s first 100-day pledges.
The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) conducted the land reclamation component of the project, with the rest of the facilities being developed jointly by five state-owned enterprises under Corporate Social Responsibility.
The project comprises of land reclamation of two islands in Kudagiri, which is 10.5 km away from Malé City. This includes eight hectares of land which is to be built into a picnic island with the necessary infrastructure , and 1.5 hectares to be left as a sandbank. Revetment works will also be done in order to protect the reclaimed area, and fine sand needed for construction purpose were obtained from the Maldivian atolls.
The CEO of MTCC tweeted that the company, gives great attention to the development of the island, with as many trees and natural vegetation as possible. Highlighting that it will take sometime for the trees to start growing, Azim stated that by the time the island is fully developed, it will be full of greenery.
The tree plantation on reclaimed island was done by the State Electric Company Limited (STELCO)
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih recently made a visit to the picnic island site on Kudagiri Island , to see for himself the progress being made in its development. As such he inspected the work on the arrival jetty, reception area, mosque, powerhouse as well as the accommodation block.
He also visited the "Camp Island" development site , the sand bank, and inquired about the progress and obstacles to completing the project on time .
In addition to the President, Vice President Faisal Naseem and some senior government officials also visited the site recently to observe the progress of the work.
Kuda Bandos, located 9.7 kilometers away from capital Malé, was the former picnic island before it was re-opened as a tourist resort in August 2016.
Uninhabited islands that are used by the public for recreational purpose are named as picnic islands.
The incumbent administration aims to open the island for public by July 26, which is the Independence Day of Maldives.
