MTCC contracted to develop dinghy jetty in Vilimale’, implement shore protection

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has officially contracted the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) to develop a dinghy jetty and implement a coastal protection project in Villimalé.

The agreements were signed by State Minister Ismail Hameed on behalf of the Ministry, while MTCC Managing Director Ahmed Saudhee signed on behalf of the company.

The dinghy jetty project on the northern side of Villimalé was awarded to MTCC for MVR 14.91 million and is scheduled for completion within 150 days, or five months. The project includes dredging 3,698 cubic meters of the harbor and channel, constructing a 74-meter quay wall equipped with a ramp and stairs, installing a three-meter rock boulder revetment and a 24-meter rock boulder breakwater, and constructing a 74-meter-long, two-meter-wide concrete jetty.

The Villimalé coastal protection project was awarded at a cost of MVR 45.66 million and is expected to be completed within six months. The scope of the project includes reclaiming 1.09 hectares through sand nourishment, constructing a 150-meter rock boulder revetment, installing a 181-meter submerged rock boulder breakwater, and removing a 60-meter section of the existing breakwater.

The coastal protection project comes amid significant erosion on the southern side of Villimalé, particularly in the vicinity of the ongoing Thilamalé Bridge project site.

MTCC said the coastal protection measures would provide a sustainable solution to the island’s erosion challenges. The company also stated that the completion of the dinghy jetty would ease the docking difficulties currently experienced by residents and visitors.

The awarding of the projects comes as MTCC continues to secure several large-scale government contracts, despite concerns raised by economists over the deteriorating financial condition of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Political opponents have also expressed concern over the challenges faced by these companies in simultaneously financing and implementing multiple government projects.