R21m sanitation master plan for Mahé, Praslin and La Digue |17 April 2015

The Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) is receiving help from the African Water Facility to come up with a sanitation master plan for Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. Work on the plan, which is expected to cost around R21 million, is expected to start soon.

The Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Energy Didier Dogley said this in the National Assembly on Tuesday when answering members’ questions on sewerage management.

“The master plan will cover a feasibility study and sewerage system designs for all the three main islands,” Minister Dogley informed Assembly members.
Originally elected member for Les Mammelles Emmanuel Fideria wanted to know if the PUC is working with developers and investors in lower Les Mammelles and Plaisance so as to have a sewerage system to connect all new building developments in the area.

Minister Dogley said proposals for investors to join with the PUC to invest in  sewerage facilities can always be considered in view of the fact that the Ministry of Finance with help from the World Bank is studying possible public private partnerships to develop infrastructure in the country.

This will no doubt be very encouraging  for the PUC to consider such possibilities, the minister said.

But Minister Dogley informed the Assembly members that the PUC on its own cannot take the decision to develop such partnerships to fund these infrastructure developments as it needs to wait for the above mentioned study to be completed and proper guidelines from the Ministry of Finance put in place.

“Following that the PUC would be in a better position to understand the different modalities of such an arrangement,” Minister Dogley explained.

He noted that in the meantime the PUC with help from the African Water Facility will soon start a sanitation master plan project for Praslin and La Digue which will make it easier for the PUC to secure donors’ commitment to fund its infrastructure development projects.

Meanwhile Minister Dogley said where there is in place a sewerage system the government is encouraging people to apply for a connection. He noted that at present one such system is being put in place in the Beau Vallon area where around 121 households are expected to be connected in the coming years.

Minister Dogley reiterated the government’s willingness to have in place modern sewerage system facilities but stressed that this is not always easy as it is very costly for both the government and household owners depending on the location of the houses.

But Minister Dogley informed Assembly members that the government would soon make an announcement in relation to the system in Beau Vallon.

During the question session on Tuesday Minister Dogley also said that the government has plans to introduce a prepaid system for electricity in the coming years. But prior to that the PUC will have to put in place the necessary infrastructure which would allow such a system to operate. These include a new computer system, new communication line, among other facilities.