Bilkiss Jaffaralli
6 February 2008
Port Louis — The expected rainy season needed to fill our reservoirs does not always make everybody happy. The inhabitants of Henrietta-Vacoas dread it because of the floods and soil erosion they have to face.
Those who live next to Rempart River, in Henrietta, do not know who will save them from their plight. They have for years been the victims of the rains that are so welcome in the nearby reservoirs but which flood their gardens and washes away the soil while putting their lives in danger. By the end of 2003, the National Development Unit (NDU) initiated a project to build protection walls along the banks of the river and deepen it to solve teh problem of both floods and soil erosion.
Four years later, the construction of this protection wall is still not completed. At first, the inhabitants were relieved but, contrary to their expectations, the project did not start in the most affected areas but in one that was not so critical. Many families have benefited from it but unfortunately not the most affected ones. The work progressed and the bridge over the river was enlarged.
But the construction of the protection wall and the deepening of the river did not go further than a few metres after the bridge. With heavy rains, the soil keeps getting washed away. Several families along the river banks continue to be affected year after year and, up to now, nothing has really been done to alleviate their problems.
What happened to the project then? What about the inhabitants most concerned? Despite several requests made to concerned bodies and ministries, their voices have allegedly remained unheard. "The previous government started this project but, after the elections, it was stopped. I went to see the NDU but they said that the project to continue the work already exists but that we have to wait. Due to the incomplete work, my plot of land, which is found on the bank of the river, has faces severe soil erosion since then. Besides, when there is a flood, wastewater also comes along. We have been to see all the authorities concerned, we have even sent them letters but apart from a site visit, nothing has really been done", comments a victim of this situation.
Voices unheard
This river not only affects the people living near the banks of the river but also those living nearby. "When it rains, the water enters my house. It's like a little sea around our houses. My building materials have all been washed away. After the floods, up to about 40 cm of water remain stagnant for more than a week. It's difficult to go out to work and to school. The road remains muddy for weeks. The authorities must act urgently before another cyclone comes", comments another resident of Henrietta.
However, there's some light emerging from the end of the tunnel. "We have received complaints of soil erosion at Henrietta. Our engineers will make a site visit in the affected region. We shall discuss this issue in a committee for the approval of this project to undertake the works", declared the Mayor of Vacoas-Phoenix, whom we contacted.
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