The Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure has said that Boduthakurufaanu Magu, a road encircling capital city Malé, will be open for use on Thursday.
The government previously attempted to open the road, after the Malé Ring Road Development Project that expands and lays tar on it, on Monday.
A ministry official cited ongoing work to mark the road and set up light posts as the reason for the delay. This process has been described as being carried out in ‘fast speed’.
The Malé Ring Road Development Project closed of large sections of the road to have it connect to the Sinamalé Bridge – known commonly as China-Maldives Friendship Bridge – linking Malé to Hulhulé.
Areas of development start from near the Hulhumalé ferry terminal in the north-east to the Industrial Villa in the south-west.
Scores of trees lining the road have been plucked out and destroyed, with closure of the heavily used road resulting in vexing of the heavily-populated capital city’s contentious traffic problem.
Local non-profit EcoCare has expressed concern over the environmental ‘misdemeanor’ of cutting down the decades-old trees and earlier called on the government to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment for the project.
While we talk of the importance of biodiversity and conservation, while our schools organize clean ups and tree planting activities @HousingGovMv continues to take down the remaining few “big” trees in Malè in the name of “development”.
— ECOCARE Maldives (@ecocare_mv) April 9, 2018
No effort has been made to relocate them. pic.twitter.com/PxcWfPfVkt
While the government has not taken heed of EcoCare’s call for an assessment, Housing Minister Mohamed Muizzu said that a total of 450 trees will be planted after completion of the project.
