The council authority of Baa Atoll has passed a stern resolution calling on the central government to cease leasing anymore of the uninhabited islands of the atoll for resort development.
In addition to this, the resolution from the council called on the central government to handover the uninhabited islands and the lagoon in the atoll back to the council’s authority.
Moreover, the resolution passed by the atoll council on 14th January 2022 was signed by the presidents of eight of the councils of residential islands in the atoll.
The resolution had noted on several concerns of the council, including the efforts to assess the situation of uninhabited islands and lagoons that still remain unused. In addition to this, the resolution had shed light on concerns including waste disposal management in these islands as well as unauthorized usage of the lagoon for monetary benefits without proper permission.
Furthermore, the resolution had called the government authorities to take stringent measures to address the concerns raised by the council. The council’s resolution include;
- Cessation on leasing islands from the atoll for resort development, and permission to be obtained exclusively from the Atoll Council if otherwise
- Transfer of the agreements of the leased islands to the Atoll Council
- Provision of equipment or means to the Atoll Council to monitor islands leased for agricultural purposes
- Maintenance of all lagoons, within the atoll and jurisdiction of these lagoons to be handed over to the Atoll Council
- Strict legal action against individuals who illegally use the uninhabited islands, sandbanks or lagoons of the atoll
- Maintenance of the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve to be established under the Atoll Council