President Michel visits Anse Boileau-Rain helps President see flood problems |04 December 2006

Fortuitously, the rains helped to illustrate one of the problems that his delegation was concerned with – flooding.

At one spot where a decision has been reached to divert a river, President Michel and his team had to actually wade though a flooded plot of land.
Besides reviewing situations where water was undesirable, the Head of State, Land Use and Habitat Minister, Joel Morgan, Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) chairman Phillip Morin, the managing director of PUC’s water and sewerage division, Stephen Rousseau and other senior officials also saw projects that will see treated water supplied to areas where shortages are sometimes experienced.

In addition to drainage and water supply issues, the President, whose delegation also comprised senior officials from the Ministry of Land Use and Habitat (MLUH), District Administrator, Valcy Nibourette, and Member of the National Assembly Andre Pool, also saw ongoing housing projects at which some decisions were taken and others reversed so as to speed up work.

One of the projects President Michel saw was the Ex-Cable and Wireless housing project, where 32 housing units worth R9.3 million are under construction, with the first of them becoming available next month.

Mr Pool thanked the President for visiting the district, saying that the various projects he inspected and sought the acceleration of will improve the lives of the inhabitants of the district.

“We have seen the projects for the supply of water, for example to Anse Louis, the various drainage projects that are going on, and different housing projects,” President Michel said.

He said that along with Minister Morgan and different MLUH officials, they had looked at various properties which the government hopes to get so as to build houses for more people.

He said that he also took the opportunity to see and talk with a few people within the district regarding some of the difficulties they may be experiencing with a view to resolving their problems.

Giving some details about the water projects, Mr Rousseau said that due to problems experienced during the dry seasons, PUC has embarked on the construction of a pumping station, a reservoir and a distribution system.

He said that the R1.7 million water project will start as soon the necessary materials have been imported, and upon completion, the new project will boost water supply to about 200 households.

Still under the rain after the serious work and challenging day, President Michel who was obviously pleased with the eventual outcome cheerfully bid farewell to his delegation quipping, “See you on Saturday,” drawing a few gasps from some team members, and laughter from those who realized he may not have meant the coming weekend, and that even if he did, that conditions may not be as tough then.

While the people coped well, equipment like some vehicles hardly matched their stamina, and television crew, for example, were in constant touch with their Hermitage base over logistics after alternative vans they borrowed from their colleagues in the field found the terrain too challenging.

In the end, reporters and camera crews from three media houses had to resort to synergy, using each other's transport to catch up with the presidential delegation in what was eventually an exciting experience for the media.