Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has signed an agreement with Rainbow Construction Private Limited, to develop a Drug Detoxification Centre in Hulhudhoo island of southernmost Addu City.

The contract was signed on Tuesday, and is funded through an MVR eight million grant assistance from India.

The MoU on setting up of the drug-detox centre was signed during Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Shringla’s visit to the Maldives earlier this month.

The centre is among the 30 small and medium High-Impact Community Development projects that are being carried out under Indian grant assistance. The Indian high commission said that the total of all 30 projects is approximately USD 13 million.

The proposed Drug Detox Centre in Hulhudhoo island “will provide detoxification, community rehabilitation and residential rehabilitation services”.

The Indian high commission said that the centre “will also help in the reduction of crimes associated with drug abuse and contribute in bringing peace and harmony to the local island population”.

Further noting that substance abuse “within local island communities is a serious issue that Maldivian authorities have been grappling with for some time now,” the high commission pointed out the “alarming rise in the number of children and adolescents engaging in the use of drugs”.

The high commission added that India is “honoured to support a project that will provide rehabilitation services to drug addicts and comfort and respite to their families and the larger island communities,” adding that the project “is yet another shining example of the nature of the development partnership between India and the Maldives, which is transparent, participative and tailored to the requirements of the local community”.

It further said that Addu City “occupies a special place in India’s development partnership with the Maldives”, and highlighted additional ongoing projects in the southernmost city.

This includes setting up of three fish-processing plants and five eco-tourism zones under a total grant assistance of USD 4.2 million.

India is also developing the National College for Police and Law Enforcement Studies (NCPLES) in Addu worth USD 33 million, as well while supporting the Addu Roads and Reclamation project is included under India’s USD 800 million credit line.