The first order of business after taking the helm of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) had been to design a masterplan that took the increasing population of reclaimed suburb Hulhumale’ into account, HDC’s Managing Director Mohamed Mauroof Jameel has said ahead of his retirement next month.
Speaking to PSM News’ ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, Mauroof reflected on his rather short tenure, insisting that the primary aim was to design a new masterplan for Hulhumale’ to provide better quality of life for its residents.
Alluding to the need to revise the 24 year old masterplan, Mauroof explained that the primary reason behind the revision was to accommodate the harbour expansion plan to address the present shortage of space.
"Hulhumale’ needs a well-developed and well-organised harbour. Especially with the development of Rasmale’, there must be excellent ferry connectivity in Hulhumale’. Transportation should be given high priority. That has been taken into consideration in the new masterplan,” he explained.
According to Mauroof, with the current population in Hulhumale’ expected to double in the coming years, the old masterplan did not provide enough public services to cater to the rising population.
"The population will double in the future. We need more open spaces. We need space for sports and recreation. Minimising vehicle congestion is also a goal. We need to have more facilities in many neighborhoods within a 10 minute walking distance,” he said.
Mauroof, a renowned architect and an independent researcher focused on the architectural heritage of the Maldives had played a pivotal role in the development of Hulhumalé during his tenure as Construction Minister before his appointment as HDC’s Managing Director in December last year.
Mauroof revealed that he did not want to turn down the President’s offer to take up the post but had conditioned on a short tenure.
Despite his retirement, Mauroof expressed his desire to continue his contributions to HDC in an advisory capacity.