Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, an infrastructure arm of Shapoorji Pallonji Group from India signed an agreement with the Republic of Maldives for a $530 million infrastructure project named ‘Greater Male Connectivity Project’ (GMCP).
- GMCP project is the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives.
Key Points:
i.Funding: The project will be funded by the Exim Bank of India under the Indian grant and Line of Credit (LoC) scheme.
- The project was funded through a grant of $100 million and a line of credit of $400 million from India.
- The total contract value of the project is $530 million with construction duration of 32 months.
i.The project will connect Male, the capital city of Maldives with adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi through a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link.
- The bridge would connect the islands of Hulhumale, Hulhule and Male with the proposed Gulhifalhu Port and the Thilafushi Industrial Zone.
ii.The bridge includes 3 navigation bridges of 140 metres across very deep channels between the islands, 1.41 km of marine viaduct in deep water, 2.32-km marine viaduct in shallow water and land, and 2.96 km of at-grade roads.
iii.The project will transform Maldives into a more developed and economically resilient nation.
iv.Other Projects of Afcons:
Different earlier projects constructed by Afcons include Atal Tunnel, the world’s longest highway tunnel 10,000 ft above sea level, the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, etc.
Recent Related News:
In July 2021, Defence Officials from India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives participated in a virtual Trilateral Tabletop Exercise 2021 (TTX-2021), ‘Exercise Shield’ on Maritime Security. Exercise Shield was organized by Maritime Warfare Centre, Mumbai from July 14-15, 2021
About Afcons Infrastructure Ltd:
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director – S Paramasivan
About Maldives:
Capital – Male
Currency – Maldivian rufiyaa
President – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
