Environmental Protection Agency EPA says the self-elevating platform that ran aground on Villimale reef would be removed within the next two days.
The platform used by AFCONs of India, the contractor tasked with building the Thilamale bridge, ran aground on Villimale's reef last Tuesday, and locals as well as NGOs have been baffled by the inability of those responsible to refloat the infrastructure that has been striking the reef repeatedly.
In a tweet, EPA said a meeting with the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and AFCONS Infrastructure Limited on the salvage efforts to remove the platform.
EPA said that it was assured that the salvage operation will be completed within the next two days.
The Agency added that it would carry out a damage assessment once salvage is completed.
This comes after NGOs Save the Beach and Villijoali accused the relevant authorities of not doing enough to remove the huge infrastructure from the reef.
They further said that they believed that the Maldives has persons experienced in such removal operations, and should possess the equipment and vessels needed for such operations and that all the expertise should be utilized at this point.
