Mauritius mobilises 15 to 20 boreholes amid water crisis
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Defimedia
The Mauritian government wants to requisition 15 to 20 additional boreholes to address the water crisis after Mare-aux-Vacoas’s supply fell below 50,000 cubic metres per day. First connections could be made within 15 to 20 days, while more than 700 million Mauritian rupees must be mobilised, according to Defimedia.
The Mauritian government wants to requisition 15 to 20 additional boreholes to strengthen water supplies, as the contribution from Mare-aux-Vacoas to the La Marie treatment plant has fallen from around 110,000 to less than 50,000 cubic metres per day. The first connections could be made within 15 to 20 days, Energy and Public Utilities Minister Patrick Assirvaden said on Saturday 24 October, according to Defimedia.
An initial operation concerns four boreholes, which should provide more than 10,000 cubic metres per day. In Côte-d’Or, a borehole requisitioned from Landscope supplies 1.2 million litres per day to Côte-d’Or, Saint-Pierre and Helvétia. In Valentina, a borehole operational since 19 October can produce 4,840 cubic metres per day, supplying Phoenix and Midlands in particular.
Patrick Assirvaden asked the Water Resources Unit to submit a list of 15 to 20 other boreholes that could be connected. The Central Water Authority still has to determine how the volumes will be distributed, depending on flow rates and technical feasibility. In the heights of Floréal and around Curepipe, however, insufficient pressure continues to limit access to water, reports Defimedia.
