312 plots to be issued from Maafushi's reclaimed area

The council of Maafushi has announced that they will open applications for 312 plots of land from the newly reclaimed land of the island, in February.

The president of the council, Hassan Salaah, said while talking to Sun that they are working to open applications for the plots of land and to announce it next month. He further said that while 312 plots are available, 306 of these will be given to residents for free. The remaining six plots are for business purposes.

Salaah said that the first thing to be done is to draw up regulations for how and to whom the land will be given, and that this will be decided in the island-wide meeting which will be held tonight.

The new area was reclaimed as a separate island from Maafushi, and will be linked via a bridge. This government has already contracted MTCC for this project.

“MTCC is prepared to start work on the project this month,” Solah said.

Maafushi has always faced the issue of not having enough houses. The last time land was given in Maafushi was 20 years ago. Maafushi has a thriving guest house business scene. And has a big population of migrants from other islands as well.

“The people of Maafushi very rarely live on other islands. And so shelter and homes are very needed by the populace,” Solah said.

He further said that it is one of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s pledges that he will solve the housing crisis in Maafushi. He also highlighted that solving that problem is one of the council’s main motives.

The reclaimed land was handed over to the council after the work was finished a year ago. It is an area of 25 hectares.