On Thursday, India will sign the Maldives’ largest-ever infrastructure project. The Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) will be developed by Afcons, a Maharashtra-based construction and engineering firm that will sign a contract with the Maldives government.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla, Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir, and four Maldivian officials will attend the signing event.
The GMCP project is seen as the Maldives’ economic lifeline, as it will improve Connectivity between the four islands that account for almost half of the country’s population. During the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to the Maldives in September 2019, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid requested that it be erected.
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The 6.74-kilometer bridge and causeway will connect Male, the Maldives’ capital, with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi. The project has been funded under Indian grant of $100 million and line of credit of $400 million.
The GMCP project will be bigger than the 1.4-kilometre-long Sinamalé Bridge, built under Chinese assistance. It connects Malé with Hulhule’ and Hulhumalé and was completed in 2018.
It consists of three navigation bridges with a main span of 140 metres that span the deep channel between each island, 1.41 kilometres of deep water marine viaduct, 2.32 kilometres of shallow water or land marine viaduct, and 2.96 kilometres of at-grade roads. The project will employ solar electricity for illumination in an effort to promote the usage of renewable energy.
Since President Solih assumed office in November 2018, India and the Maldives have forged strong bilateral ties. India has offered assistance to Maldives from time to time and during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, it supplied vaccines and economic support to the island nation.
