Agency to mark flood-prone Pointe Larue road edges |18 January 2013

The entire road normally floods when it rains as heavily as it did that night and many cars inadvertently sail into the drainage channel which gets concealed by the water, but Land Transport Agency chief executive Parinda Herath had good news for drivers when we called him on Thursday:

“This is only a temporary measure. We are going to install similar but permanent structures there because vehicles often land in the ditch as drivers no longer see the road when it rains and floods,” he said.

The rains caused damage in 23 reported cases on Mahe and Praslin but south Mahe seems to have got more than its share when waterlogged soil triggered landslides that in places like Anse aux Pins had brought down retaining walls as our picture shows.

The district’s administrator Sylvia Stravens said 10 families were affected, the worst case being near Bodanmyen where vegetables planted in a water channel blocked its outlet culvert and diverted the water into the cultivator’s house.

“A lot of the family’s property was badly damaged and we are asking them and neighbours who have planted bananas and vegetables along the valley to remove them because we do not know when the water may claim its course again,” she said, adding the people had taken advantage because during the dry season the low lying ground remains moist and suitable for vegetables like bred lanmar.

“The family had to vacate their house for the night.”
She said teams of people were helping houses hit by varying amounts of soil that slid.

The meteorological services said the amount of rain that is falling is normal for this period and it is expected to continue while emergency services agencies urged people to be on their guard.