PUC projects in pipeline for residents, farmers of Dan Merl |04 August 2021
There are two main issues to be addressed in order to resolve the severe water shortage affecting the 22 families and farmers in the DanMerlarea of Baie Lazare, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, FlavienJoubert informed National Assembly members yesterday.
The first of the issues is to provide water to the 22 families who have established their dwelling at a higher altitude, and the other, the provision of water for others who do have access to water, but at very low pressure.
Minister Joubert gave those details when answering an urgent question by member of the National Assembly (MNA) Wallace Cosgrow of opposition party United Seychelles who wanted the minister to give details of what was being done to urgently address the problem that residents and farmers in the area are currently facing.
According to Minister Joubert, the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) is in the process of establishing a system to pump water at a lower pointto be stored in a reservoir or tank higher upto allow for the residents to access water through gravity. However, PUC is facing delays on account of lack of space where to put the tank, private land owners are yet to be willing to compromise and give PUCpart of their property to install the water tank and this despite the fact that PUC has accepted to buy the plot of land for that purpose. The project is estimated to cost around R600,000.
For residents of the lower region, it is commonplacethat they are faced with low water pressure. This is primarily due to breakages along the pipelines, increased demand from the Bougainville and Val d’Andorre regionespecially on weekends. To remedy the situation Minister Joubert said PUC will reinforce its treated water network in the region to ensure sufficient supply and water pressure.
Minister Joubert added that PUC intends to replace water tanks serving the area, when it secures financing. He also informed Assembly members that there are no alternative projects planned for the area for the time being.
Minister Joubert was accompanied in the National Assembly by the principal secretary for agriculture Keven Nancy and chief executive of the PUC Phillip Morin.