Today Thilafushi has a landmass of more than 4.6 million ft2 (0.43 km²). The speedy terrestrial growth of Thilafushi was observed by the Government, and in November 1997, it was decided that land was to be leased to entrepreneurs interested in acquiring land for industrial purposes. Initially there were just 22 lease holders. Within the past 10 years, this number has doubled to 54 resulting in more than 1.2 million square feet (0.11 km² or 27.5 acres) of land being used currently, which generates an excess of 14 million Rufiyaa (about USD1,000,000.00) per annum. Soon after, an area of 0.2 km² (known as "Thilafushi-2") was reclaimed using white sand as the filling material to provide terra firma for the more heavy industries.