Currently the biggest social debate is on spending millions of money for road development projects around the Maldives. Though the last government claims to have developed the roads of many islands, most the islands stiill have the same conditions, puddles and potholes. Thus it has always been a public demand that the roads get developed, inorder to avoid vehicle damage and health as well.
However this has become debatable considering the tourism factor.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said today that he does not support tarring or concreting roads on islands where there are many guesthouses and local tourism is developing.
During his visit to 13 islands in Baa Atoll today, at a public meeting held in Kamadhoo, the President said that natural beauty must be preserved on islands where tourism is expanding. The President stated that even when improving roads to a good standard, planning must be done in a way that does not compromise natural beauty.
According to the President, tarring or concreting all roads on every island is not something he supports. He also said that this is not what the people of every island would want either.
“Roads must be built in a way that preserves natural beauty, or in a way that is essential. We will proceed according to what the people of [that island] need,” the President said.
“Simply tarring everything into hard surfaces, or concreting roads everywhere is not very important. It’s not a very good thing either. Especially on islands where local tourism is developing.”
The President said that when building roads, consideration will be given to ways that would economically benefit that island.
The President made these comments supporting the construction of roads without compromising natural beauty after some people recently expressed opinions on social media that small islands do not need to be tarred when road construction was announced for some islands. Some people have expressed concern, saying there is no need to build tarred or concreted roads in Kudarikilhi in Baa Atoll, which has a small population.
