Drainage study launched for La Digue |01 April 2013

The study will give the government clear recommendations and guidelines on how to develop drainages and other systems to suit La Digue’s complex topography.

This was said by the Minister for Environment and Energy, Professor Rolph Payet, at a public meeting held recently at the island’s community centre.

During the meeting, residents were informed of what have been done following the flooding of last January. The Ministry of Health and the Division of Risk and Disaster Management made presentations on the different interventions, while the Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA) updated the audience on the waste collection exercise done in the week following the flooding.

Residents learned that resources worth more than R1 million were mobilised for the post disaster operation.
Residents also had the chance to voice out their concerns over environment issues on the island. Professor Payet urged them to provide his office and the headquarters with maximum information so as to provide timely and appropriate interventions with regard to issues which may arise on La Digue. Minister Payet made this appeal following complaints that assistance from Mahé was not spontaneous.

The study will be done within five weeks, and will be conducted by consultants from WSP Group, represented by Brohnslow Winslow and Aquapris represented by David Moustache, both based in Seychelles.

The consultants will undertake the assessment for free but will be assisted by engineers and technicians from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Seychelles Land Transport Agency and Ministry of Land Use and Habitat.

Recommendations and solutions aimed at addressing shortfalls and weaknesses on the status of drainage networks will then be submitted to the authority.

These solutions would be specific for La Digue; they could be adopted without changing the island’s landscape which is in itself unique. One such proposals will be earth drains which aesthetically will blend well with the earth roads, which give La Digue its rustic image sought after by thousands of visitors each year.