Eve set to transform Praslin |23 August 2006

A clearer picture of the proposed changes emerged on Saturday when President James Michel led a delegation on a visit to the island.

Seychelles Petroleum Company (Sepec), for example, will set up a 40-tonne fixed storage facility for cooking gas (Liquefied Petroleum Gas – LPG) which will be drawn from there to fill up cylinders at a new facility that will be constructed.

A new bus terminal will also be built on Eve, making it possible for buses to operate dually from Baie St Anne and also, rather than only, from Amitie, as is the case now.

Boat repairers and other craftspeople involved in trades that generate nuisances like noise have also been allocated land on the island, from where they will operate freely.

Speaking in an interview during his visit, President Michel said that he has asked the Ministry of Land Use and Habitat to include an amphitheatre on the reclaimed land.

“This will enable Praslinois to continue developing their talents, as the theatre will allow for musical shows where artistes can come to perform, and I think this is a good thing,” President Michel said.

He said that a public swimming pool will also be constructed, giving the people of Praslin yet another facility they can benefit from.

The Minister for Land Use and Habitat, Joel Morgan, said that Eve island will also host a fire brigade, a cargo unloading bay for boats, a helipad that will allow helicopter passengers to go straight to Baie St Anne rather than disembarking at Amitie as is the case now, in addition to the modern school whose construction is nearly completed.

He said there will be an industrial area similar to the one on Mahe’s Providence, where people engaged in carpentry, construction, repair and metal work can operate from.

“Another important aspect is that a large area has been reserved for a mixed variety of houses; high density, flats and semi-detached units,” he said, adding that work is ongoing to provide basic facilities necessary for the island’s occupation.

“Boat owners and people who work on fiberglass are being moved away from where their trades cause noise pollution,” he said.

He added that there will also be shops, for example near the residential  areas, and that once a new jetty is constructed for ordinary passengers, the existing one will be left for the exclusive use by chartered boats.

“There will also be a water storage area,” the minister said, adding that majority of the projects will be started next year.

Speaking about the proposed plans for gas storage, the assistant general manager of Sepec, Ray Hoareau, said that bulk storage of cooking gas on Eve will reduce transportation costs and make the whole process safer.

“At the moment, the way cylinders are handled in their conveyance from Mahe to Praslin is unsafe.

Because the operators handle many, for example 200 at a time, they tend to mishandle them, for example by banging them against vessels and other surfaces,” he said, adding that there are plans for a petroleum storage facility on Eve in the future.

While on Praslin during the visit, Nation learned that a second bus terminal will make it possible for Seychelles Public Transport Corporation’s (SPTC) buses to be accommodated overnight on Eve, for them to commence their trips from Baie St Anne.

“At the moment only three buses stay on this side, at Marie-Jeanne Estate, but with a terminal, more could stay here overnight,” an SPTC employee said.