Giraavaru Lagoon LUP overhauled as plot re-draw begins amid broken promises
The housing ministry confirmed that details concerning land registries and agreements will be disclosed at a later stage after the lot-drawing process is completed. The physical handover of the plots will take place once land reclamation works are finished.
Recipients of land plots from Giraavaru Lagoon | Housing Ministry
Following revisions to the Giraavaru Lagoon Land Use Plan (LUP) by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, the process of re-drawing lots for housing plots has commenced for beneficiaries.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure announced that amendments to the Giraavaru Lagoon LUP have resulted in a new master plan. As a consequence, the specific locations and lot numbers of plots previously allocated under the ‘Binveriyaa scheme have been altered, requiring the issuance of new lot numbers.
According to the ministry, a lucky draw was conducted to allocate these newly designated plots to individuals who had originally been granted land in Giraavaru Lagoon. A similar lot-drawing exercise was carried out in June last year following earlier changes to the land use plan.
The ministry detailed the sizes and quantities of plots allocated in Giraavaru Lagoon as follows:
- 2,605 plots of 1,250 square feet
- 1,213 plots of 1,650 square feet
- 253 plots of 2,050 square feet
- 1 plot of 2,450 square feet
The ministry detailed the sizes and quantities of plots allocated in Giraavaru Lagoon as follows:
The ministry further stated that the drawing of lots is taking place at the Social Center and is being overseen by designated ministry officials. To regulate the process, only one representative per plot is allowed to enter the drawing hall. Once a plot is allocated, the beneficiary is immediately informed of the new plot number via SMS.
The housing ministry confirmed that details concerning land registries and agreements will be disclosed at a later stage after the lot-drawing process is completed. The physical handover of the plots will take place once land reclamation works are finished.
While the re-drawing of lots is underway, physical reclamation work at Giraavaru Lagoon, which had been stalled for a prolonged period, resumed on 30 January 2026. The project is intended to reclaim 160 hectares of land, with approximately 54 hectares completed, according to previous government reports.
Despite President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s earlier commitment to preserve the original size and location of allocated plots, more than 1,000 plots initially designated for Giraavaru Lagoon have since been relocated to Gulhifalhu. The government has asserted that some of these relocations were carried out at the request of beneficiaries. Previously, beneficiaries of Giraavaru Lagoon plots had staged protests after indications emerged that certain plots could be moved to Ras Malé.
