Residents of Lhaimagu island in Shaviyani Atoll have expressed concern over the island’s structural integrity after the state began extracting soil from area sensitive to erosion.
Several residents of the island have taken to social networking platforms and giving information to various media outlets about the issue, which they believe could cause irreversible damage to the island.
They expressed heavy concern about the area, which is believed to be the most vulnerable location on the island to erosion, has no reefs or any barriers to it and while the state-operated Maldives Transport and Contracting Company is dredging deeper waters, the area is comparatively shallow.
The island’s council told RaajjeMV that they have already filed a case over the matter with the Environment Ministry and that they are waiting on a response as well. The council is also looking to clarify if the project is going ahead in adherence to environment laws and the Environment Impact Assessment.
While the matter remains unresolved, and unaddressed, the council has reached out to neighbouring Funadhoo island, where the MTCC is constructing an airport and is what the dredging is being carried out for. The council in Funadhoo island had assured the Lhaimagu council members that the project is in adherence to the aforementioned laws. The council said that Funadhoo island’s assurances are less than convincing.
The island’s residents had spoken to RaajjeMV in support of the project and said that they celebrate the fact that an airport is being constructed in a neighbouring island but the ramifications of it, as the project is going now, could be far too damaging for the island.
They also said that the area is a habitat for a number of diverse creatures that the island’s fishing vessels catch for trade, which could also be impacted by the dredging.
The MTCC’s massive dredger, the Mahaa Jaraaffu, began dredging the area on 14th January. Neither the ministry nor their Environment Protection Agency had answered calls at the time of press.
