The Civil Court has ruled that the lawsuit filed by the Vaavu Atoll Council to stop the leasing of Fohtheyo lagoon (Dhiggaru lagoon) cannot be continued.
The government wants to lease the lagoon under cross-subsidy rules to get investments for airports. Aman Resorts, which operates many luxury resorts, is investing in the lagoon.
The Atoll Council filed the case in court, saying the lagoon was being leased without the council's consent and in violation of the Decentralization Act. The council also asked for a court order to stop the lease, but the court decided not to issue the order.
The state told the court that there was no room to continue the case because it was under an unrelated rule. The council filed it as a disputed case. The state said the lawsuit should be filed under judicial review.
The Civil Court's ruling last week was in line with the state's arguments. The court ruled that the case could not proceed as it was now filed and dismissed the charge sheet.
Aman Resorts has submitted a master concept plan to reclaim 27 individual islands in the lagoon for its resort.
Under the concept approved by the Tourism Ministry, the islands will depict marine life. These include islands designed to depict the stingray, one of the most popular wildlife species for tourists.
The resort was designed by Singapore's renowned Kerry Hill Architects (KHA). The award-winning KHA architects designed other Aman resorts, One&Only and Como resorts. One of the most distinctive features of their designs is creating buildings and places based on the characteristics of the surrounding environment.
