Fulidhoo jetty unsafe for use; MTCC team to be sent for repair

The condition of the jetty in V. Fulidhoo has deteriorated to the extent that it has been deemed unsafe for use.

Fulidhoo Council’s president Mohamed Imthiyaz told Sun on Wednesday that the jetty – opened in 2019 – was not properly fixed as the pillars were built on top of sand.

He said that the jetty began separating from the land amid heavy rain in January. He said the condition continued to deteriorate, and the jetty got completely detached from land around February 12.

Imthiyaz said it has made the jetty hard and unsafe to use.

“People can get on the jetty. But it is very hard. During peak travel periods, some 50 to 100 people use the jetty daily. Its very hard to carry the luggage and cargo,” he said.

Imthiyaz said the council reported the situation to authorities last month.

“This didn’t just happen today or in January. This has been happening gradually. So, it wasn’t properly attended to,” he said.

Local Government Minister Adam Shareef Umar told Sun that he discussed the situation with the Infrastructure Ministry and the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) as soon as it came to his attention on Wednesday. Shareef said the MTCC has provided assurance it will send a team to Fulidhoo to repair the jetty.

“A team from MTCC will travel to Fulidhoo on Saturday and fix the issues, In Sha Allah,” he said.

MTCC is also building a harbor in Fulidhoo. The MVR 63 million project was awarded to the company in September 2023. MTCC is contracted to complete the project within one year and three months.