Pollution Could Damage Tourism: Bondey

A photo shared by MP Ibrahim Rashseed (Maafannu) depicted one of the north-facing lagoons of Maafushi with a large area of its surface covered with garbage.

Claiming that the photo was taken on the same day and that it depicted K. Maafushi, he commented that such actions worked against the nation’s efforts to promote tourism abroad.

Maafushi is one of the most prominent island destinations in local guesthouse tourism, and one of the first islands in the country to host guesthouses. MP Rasheed mentioned that the authorities were heedless while the islands that hosted guesthouse businesses declined to such a state.

Responding to his tweet, MP Ahmed Shiyam (Naifaru) commented that the Maldives was a country that received the largest amount of aid from abroad for environmental causes. He also mentioned that more money was siphoned into the government as a Green Tax. He expressed his concern that none of this money could do anything to solve problems such as those that have beset Maafushi.

MP Shiyam went on to allege that all the government was capable of doing was to shirk its responsibilities and shift the blame onto the people.

Retweeting MP Rasheed, the President of the Maafushi Council, Usman Rasheed, said that the Minister of Environment said that a solution concept for Maafushi’s garbage problem was being worked on. Although the island has an incinerator, the lack of resources prevent the island from putting the incinerator to good use.