What :The Greater Male Connectivity Project ( GMCP) will consist of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link between Male and the nearby islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

What is in news : Indian construction giant AFCONS has been tasked with completing the Greater Male Connectivity project.

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

MALDIVES

• In North-central Indian Ocean
• Consists of a chain of about 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks (some 200 of which are inhabited), grouped in clusters, or atolls
• Capital island of Male ( is about 400 miles (645 km) southwest of Sri Lanka )
• Maldives, a Toll Gate in Indian Ocean:
  • Located at the southern and northern parts of this island chain lies the two important sea lanes of communication (SLOCs).
  • These SLOCs are critical for maritime trade flow between the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Hormuz in West Asia and the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia.
  • While the Indian Ocean is considered as the key highway for global trade and energy flow, Maldives virtually stands as a toll gate.
  • While SLOCs in the vicinity of the Maldives have broader strategic significance for global maritime trade, these are of vital importance for India since nearly 50% of India’s external trade and 80% of her energy imports transit these westward SLOCs in the Arabian Sea.