Residents of two more islands ask to be relocated

Local Government Minister Adam Shareef Umar told reporters on Thursday that the residents of two islands in central Maldives have asked to be relocated to larger islands.

Last year, the residents of HDh. Hirimaradhoo had asked the government to be relocated closer to the Maldivian capital. Earlier this month, the government decided to relocate them to HDh. Hanimaadhoo.

At a press briefing on Thursday morning, Adam Shareef was asked whether the government has received similar requests from other islands.

Adam Shareef said that the government has received such requests from an island in V. Atoll and one in M. Atoll. But he added that the government has yet to make a decision regarding the requests.

He said that he would disclose the islands once a decision is reached.

Highlighting on the decision to relocate Hirimaradhoo residents to Hanimaadhoo, Adam Shareef described it as a “huge undertaking” and that the government is formulating related policy papers.

“We believe that we need to discuss it with stakeholders and get their input when preparing such papers. The first such talks will be held next week,” he said.

He provided that the relocation process will be completed before the end of the current presidential term.

Back in September, Mohamed Waheed, the president of the Hirimaradhoo Council, told Sun that the island’s residents wished to migrate to K. Thulusdhoo due to its close proximity to Male’ City and because the island has plenty of land.

Waheed said that the council has also communicated the request to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who provided assurance that they will be allowed to migrate to Thulusdhoo.

On February 1, Heena Waleed, the chief spokesperson at the President’s Office, announced that the government had decided to relocate the residents of Hirimaradhoo to Hanimaadhoo.

Hirimaradhoo has a registered population of 589 residents. However, more than half of the population reside in other islands, most of them in the capital.

Meanwhile, Hanimaadhoo, one of the largest islands in the Maldives, has a population of 2,645 people.

The decision triggered a mixed reaction from Hanimaadhoo. Firaq Mohamed, the president of the Hanimaadhoo Council, told Sun the government had made the decision without discussing it with the council, and that half of the island’s residents were against it.