Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure has been fined MVR 892,500, for violating the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Sinamalé Bridge.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that the ministry has been given 30 days to pay the fine.

While the Sinmalé Bridge connects capital Malé and Hulhulé island, EPA had recently carried an inspection of the area under the bridge.

Noting that this was carried out together with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), EPA said that it showed that a number of waste material had been thrown into the sea during the bridge construction.

While EPA had conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment prior to the development of the bridge, the EIA orders the ministry to inform the agency of any such violations.

Hence, the ministry was fined for failing to do so.

EPA added that the planning ministry did not respond to its attempts to clarify the matter.

The ministry was fined under the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act.

The Sinamalé Bridge was built during former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration, under the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure.

Since assuming office in November 2018, President Ibrahim Solih decided to reorganize the government structure and introduced four new ministries, dividing housing and infrastructure work between Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure, respectively.