Work on the staff accommodation block being established in the K. Kudagiri picnic island is well underway, states Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).

Sharing the latest updates of the development of Kudagiri picnic island, MTCC disclosed that 95 percent work of the staff accommodation block has been completed. As such, the company noted that the finishing touches of the accommodation black are currently on going.

MTCC states that the staff accommodation block is being established with the capacity to accommodate 32 staff at one given time. The company notes that the block would have a laundry room, kitchen and a mess-room as well.

Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure handed over the project to develop the picnic island to MTCC on September 02, 2021. The project is valued at MVR 41.49 million.

The project comprises of land reclamation of two islands in Kudagiri, which is 10.5 km away from Malé City. This includes eight hectares of land which is to be built into a picnic island with the necessary infrastructure , and 1.5 hectares to be left as a sandbank. Revetment works will also be done in order to protect the reclaimed area, and fine sand needed for construction purpose were obtained from the Maldivian atolls.

MTCC conducted the land reclamation component of the project, with the rest of the facilities being developed jointly by five state-owned enterprises under Corporate Social Responsibility.

Majority of the work of the island's development has been completed. As such, the State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) has completed the work of electricity network of the island. Additionally, the company has also installed streetlights on the island.

While STELCO is currently working on building a café in the picnic island, the company estimates that the café would be completed before the 26th of July. The work of building a café in Kudagiri island was handed over to STELCO on June 28.

Moreover, STELCO has conducted tree plantation on the reclaimed island, hoping to give the visitors the joy of enjoying their day in an island full of greenery.

Furthermore, Fenaka Corporation is working on building a mosque in the picnic island.

The picnic island is being developed mainly for use by the residents of Malé City , the congested capital . Designating a picnic island for Malé residents is one of the incumbent government’s first 100-day pledges.

Kuda Bandos, located 9.7 kilometers away from capital Malé, was the former picnic island before it was re-opened as a tourist resort in August 2016.

Uninhabited islands that are used by the public for recreational purpose are named as picnic islands.

The incumbent administration aims to open the island for public by July 26, which is the Independence Day of Maldives.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih recently made a visit to the picnic island site on Kudagiri Island, to see for himself the progress being made in its development. As such he inspected the work on the arrival jetty, reception area, mosque, powerhouse as well as the accommodation block.

He also visited the "Camp Island" development site , the sand bank, and inquired about the progress and obstacles to completing the project on time .

In addition to the President, Vice President Faisal Naseem and some senior government officials also visited the site recently to observe the progress of the work.