Five islands to be destroyed for one airport
The proposed airport could be unusable because of flood risks.
06 Aug 2018, 9:00 AM
Five islands are to be destroyed for an airport project in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll, an environmental impact assessment has revealed.
The airport, partly funded by a US$4 million interest-free loan from a Maldives tycoon, will cater to a population of 7,000 people who live within a 30-minute speed-boat journey, and one resort.
The US$11 million project will destroy uninhabited islands about 140 metres east of Faresmaathodaa island, which was originally proposed as the airport site before “lack of space and scheduling difficulties” the EIA noted.
An estimated 13.6 hectares of land will be reclaimed to connect Kan’dehdhuvaa, Han’daidhvaa, Dhoonirehaa, Kaalhehuttaa and Maarehaa. The five islands are part of a chain that are famous locally because people could walk across them at low tide.
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