Dr. Abdullah Muthalib, Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, has stated that although the decision has been made not to proceed with the land reclamation project in B. Dhonfanu, the project to address the island's harbor issue and protect the shoreline will continue.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced today that the land reclamation project in Dhonfanu will not proceed.

Following the President's decision, Muttalib posted on X saying that despite the cancellation of the land reclamation project, the government will continue with solving the harbor issue and protecting the shoreline.

In a post on X today, the President reiterated his pledge to implement development projects across the islands in line with the wishes of local communities.

Ads by Ooredoo"In this regard, I promised to carry out a land reclamation project in B. Dhonfanu at the request of the residents. And I signed an agreement to fulfill that promise. However, I have now been informed by the people that they no longer want this. Therefore, I announce that the government will not proceed with the land reclamation in that island. And the relevant ministry will officially inform the council about this by letter today," the President said.

To address the housing shortage faced by Dhonfanu residents, the government had decided to reclaim 13 hectares of land from the island's lagoon and had signed an agreement with Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) for the project.

However, Resilience Maldives, an environmental protection organization working against the Dhonfanu land reclamation, has launched a petition opposing the project.

The petition states that reclaiming Dhonfanu's lagoon could endanger Hanifaru Bay and cause significant damage to the area's ecosystem. As Hanifaru Bay is a popular tourist destination, any damage to its ecosystem could negatively impact the economy, according to the petition.

The petition argues that the land reclamation would change the current patterns in the area, potentially affecting the food system of the organisms in Hanifaru Bay. It also suggests that corals in the area could die as a result.

In addition to affecting marine life, the petition states that businesses deriving economic benefits from the area would also be impacted. Therefore, the petition calls for reconsidering the Dhonfanu lagoon reclamation project and not to proceed without conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

The petition has so far been signed by over 3,000 people.

Dhonfanu is adjacent to Hanifaru Bay, a popular tourist destination known for its large number of manta rays. The B. Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office, established 12 years ago in 2013, charges tourists US$10-20 to dive in the Hanifaru area. Maldivians are charged US$2 for diving there.