President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced the inclusion Ufulandhoo under the jurisdiction of Maduvvari in North Maalhosmadulu Atoll, and Thaavathaa in the Meedhoo jurisdiction of the same atoll.

The announcement was made during the President's ongoing visit to the islands of North Maalhosmadulu, where he engaged with the residents of Maduvvari.

During his address, President Dr Muizzu acknowledged the critical issue of land scarcity in Maduvvari. He noted that the existing land in the island is fully utilised, and the limited scope for reclaiming land would yield only a small addition to the available space.

To tackle this, the President confirmed that a land acquisition project for Maduvvari has been allocated in this year’s budget. The implementation is set to commence following consultations with relevant Ministries and the local Council.

The project, which the President aims to complete during his current term, will address longstanding issues such as the incomplete backfilling of the port, insufficient protection of the areas prone to erosion, and limited vehicle access to the harbour. However, he emphasised that the addition of six hectares alone would not fully resolve the island’s land crunch. Instead, he proposed relocating economic activities outside the island as a more sustainable solution that would also benefit public health.

In line with this vision, President Dr Muizzu announced the decision to bring Thaavathaa under the jurisdiction of Meedhoo and Ufulandhoo under the jurisdiction of Maduvvari in North MaalhosmaduluAtoll.

The President also touched on housing projects for the island, revealing plans to invite proposals for the construction of housing units. An announcement to find a suitable contractor for the project is expected before the end of this month.