The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Rajesh Anand Bhagwan, and the Junior Minister, Mrs Joanna Marie Bérenger, chaired, yesterday, a meeting with relevant stakeholders of local authorities, in Port-Louis.
The objective was to ensure a smooth service delivery in the context of the forthcoming festive period, for a cleaner Mauritius.
In a statement, Minister Bhagwan underpinned the importance of a clean and healthy environment for an enhanced quality of living. He pointed out that Mauritians traditionally carry out house and yard cleaning prior to the end-of-year festivities, thus calling upon them to respect the environment and avoid littering, illegal dumping and polluting their surroundings in so doing.
Furthermore, the Minister cautioned against noise pollution, recalling that the Police de l'Environnement will enforce environmental laws when required. He also dwelt on the need for a change of mindset as regards engaging in many forms of environmental pollution, while warning that stringent measures will be taken for any illegal activities causing harm to the environment.
On that score, Minister Bhagwan appealed to every citizen to cooperate with the Government in its mission of protecting the Environment, urging them to act as a patriot by protecting our Planet through responsible practices.
Speaking about the meeting, the Environment Minister indicated that the representatives of diverse local authorities as well as the Beach Authority discussed the work constraints they are facing and similarly put forth suggestions for better service delivery.
Mr Bhagwan expressed conviction that a close collaboration of the Ministry with all concerned stakeholders will enable each party to attain their targets more effectively.
As for the Junior Minister, Mrs Bérenger, she stated that the Government considers environment protection as a core priority, underlining that the meeting served to take stock of the current situation as regards the status of works being carried out by local authorities as well as prevailing challenges.
She remarked that the population is now more conscious about the fragility of the environment to the consequences of disasters such as the MV Wakashio oil spill and the Mare Chicose Landfill fire incident. We all recognise the importance of safeguarding our environment for our own safety, she observed, further adding that this can be done by collective actions in collaboration with local authorities.
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Besides, the Junior Minister spoke of the introduction of the environmental rights in the Constitution of the Republic of Mauritius, which she stressed, will make all of us responsible guardians of the environment.
