Mauritius: The groundbreaking ceremony for constructing 188 housing units at Bel Air Rivière Sèche was held yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, and Minister of Tourism, Louis Steven Obeegadoo.
The Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Teeruthraj Hurdoyal; the Deputy Speaker, Mohammud Zahid Naturally; and other personalities were present.
The housing project is being built on a plot of around ten arpents. It will comprise a multipurpose hall, a market, a children’s playground, a shop, three areas reserved for future amenities, a jogging track, solar street lighting, eco bins, a stormwater retention pond, road infrastructure, and a pétanque court.
Each housing unit of 61-metre square feet will comprise two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a solar and water harvesting system, parking and a garden. The project also provides eight houses for disabled persons equipped with a ramp and necessary facilities.
In a statement, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that the housing project is modern, in harmony with nature, and equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities. The project, he stated, will benefit the district residents, adding that similar housing projects are being carried out in different regions across the country to ensure that every family from different social ladders have access to a decent housing facility.
He underlined that 10% of the housing units of every New Social Living Development Ltd housing project are reserved for the most vulnerable families registered at the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity.
He added that out of the 188 houses, eight houses had been built for disabled persons and that the beneficiaries of the housing units will be able to build a first storey as per their requirement if needed.
Obeegadoo further pointed out that the construction of the housing units forms part of the Government’s vision to construct 8,000 housing units in the next 18 months and 4,000 in the second phase. He indicated that 39 sites have been identified, 38 sites have already obtained their clearances, and the contract for 34 sites has already been allocated.
For his part, Minister Hurdoyal stated that the housing units will be built taking into consideration the grievances of the public made to the District Council and will therefore be equipped with several amenities, including sports facilities, better road infrastructure, a multipurpose complex, and a solar energy system, amongst others.
He said this demonstrates the Government’s commitment to catering to the population’s welfare while enhancing their quality of life.
As for the Deputy Speaker, he indicated that Government is undertaking several development projects to support and meet the population’s needs. He thanked the public for their patience and cooperation during the implementation phases of the projects.
