The Environment Ministry has decided not to grant relief for a fine imposed on the Thilamale' bridge developer Afcons Infrastucture for damage caused by a platform that ran aground on the Vilimale' reef.
The decision was made after legal and technical studies, the Environment Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Afcons platform set up between Male' and Villingili ran aground on the Villimale' reef in August last year after an anchor malfunction.
When the platform was removed 12 days later, 10-feet deep holes were found in the Villimale' reef.
After an investigation, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) fined Afcons MVR 69.4 million.
But the company appealed to the Environment Ministry for fine relief.
The incident could have been avoided if Afcons had taken necessary precautionary measures, the Environment Ministry said, citing a technical review conducted with the help of the Center for Maritime Studies.
As such, there were no grounds to review and revise the EPA's fine, the ministry said.
The Environment Ministry decided to deposit MVR 15 million from the compensation for the Vilimale' reef damage to the EPA's "Environment Restoration Fund."
The decision was made because the government believes it is important for funds or a portion of payments collected as fines for environmental damage to be allocated to the EPA for restoration work.
Afcons was ordered to pay the EPA's fine within 30 days. The company appealed the fine to the Environment Ministry a day before the deadline for payment.
At the time, Afcons rejected the EPA's assessment of damages to the reef and sought to carry out its own survey.
Fines imposed for environmental damage in 40 cases over the past four years exceed MVR 600 million, of which one third has been collected, according to Environment Minister Aminath Shauna.
