Mauritius: The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, effected, this afternoon, a site visit in Rose Hill, with the aim of taking stock of the progress of ongoing hydraulic works, road reinstatement and associated works by the Central Water Authority (CWA).
The Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard; the Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo; the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mrs Marie Alexandra Tania Diolle; the Mayor of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Mr Jean Didier David Utile; the General Manager of the CWA, Mr Prakash Maunthrooa; and other eminent personalities were also present.
It is the first time in the history of the CWA that works of this magnitude are being undertaken in-house. The works are being supervised by a team of Technical Officers and are under the close monitoring of the CWA Technical Teams both at the level of the Operations Division (Rose Hill) and Project Management Office.
The CWA has also appointed two contractors for full-width permanent reinstatement works under the Project Area following the hydraulic works.
Fortnightly coordination meetings are held at the level of the Municipal Council with the participation of the Local Authorities, the Municipal Councillors, the Central Management of the CWA and other concerned institutions, including the Police Department.
In his address following the visit, Prime Minister Jugnauth recalled that contracts for these works were launched and awarded to a contractor in September 2017, who breached its contractual obligations. In this context, Mr Jugnauth pointed out that the CWA had to terminate both contracts in May 2021 and re-initiate procurement exercises with a view to appointing new contractors to complete the outstanding hydraulic and associated works, which had to be cancelled due to bids that were above the cost estimate.
The Prime Minister indicated that after several meetings between concerned stakeholders, it was decided that the CWA Management can mobilise its own internal resources in terms of labour such as Operatives, General Workers and Flying Squad Officers and equipment pooled from the six water supply zones with the objective to execute the outstanding hydraulic works and associated works in-house.
Mr Jugnauth lauded the skills and competence of the employees of the CWA and added that the focus needs to be on empowering local management. “I am pleased to observe the work progress achieved up to now, and I thank the workers of the CWA for showing that they have the required competence to achieve productive outcomes,” he declared.
The Prime Minister also thanked the inhabitants of Rose Hill for having been patient and for collaborating with concerned organisations so that all the work could be carried out smoothly.
Prime Minister Jugnauth emphasised that the Government has always provided a full commitment to implement various measures and projects towards solving water issues around the country and will continue to do so. On this note, he dwelt on other projects being implemented around Mauritius as regards water supply, such as in the region of l’Aventure.
For his part, Minister Lesjongard highlighted that the CWA, falling under the aegis of his Ministry, is investing massively in the upgrading of modern infrastructural water systems to improve the water distribution network across the country, including the renewal and replacement of pipes to reduce water loss and ensure a year-round water supply to the population, including commercial users.
He also spoke about the adverse impacts of climate change on water resource availability, particularly in Mauritius, and appealed to the population to make optimum use of water reserves, in particular during dry seasons.
As for Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo, she also lauded the tremendous efforts of the CWA employees to execute hydraulic works in the region and thanked the inhabitants for their patience as regards the works being carried out.
The General Manager of the CWA, for his part, emphasised the commitment and necessary efforts made by the Government in order to cater for the water needs of the country and improve water distribution through the upgrading and renewal of the CWA system. The work progress achieved so far, that is, since the start on 17 October 2022 up to today, is considerable, » he indicated.
In addition, Mr Maunthrooa outlined that works are being undertaken in three lots, namely: Lot 1, which is delimited by Vandermeersh, Pere Laval, Hugnin, Ambrose, part of Port Louis/St Jean Road and Dr Roux; Lot 2, which is delimited by Ambrose, part of Port Louis/St Jean Road, Dr Maurice Cure and Hugnin Road; and Lot 3 which is delimited by Soopramanien Street, Hugnin Road, Boundary Road and Promenade Roland Armand.
The Rose Hill Project
The water reticulation network in Rose Hill has been developed over the years and covers the whole urban area with a high population density. Having been in existence for a few decades and having undergone only limited replacement and upgrading, the network has outlived its life span and needs to be renewed.
The existing network consists mainly of Cast Iron, Asbestos Concrete and Galvanised Iron pipes which were laid some 30 years ago. The constant cycling valve operations have caused an increased frequency of bursts and leaks, resulting in a poor level of service to customers.
Works comprise the renewal of approximately 24 km of the existing pipe network and other ancillary works. They include the replacement of CWA Pipelines in Rose Hill and adjoining areas – Zone Rose Hill 1 (bounded with Boundary B75 road, Hugnin road, Port Louis-St Jean A1 road towards Dr Maurice Cure road and Inkerman street) comprising mainly of the supply and laying of 11.4 km of pipeline and shifting of approximately 1,610 household connections; and Zone Rose Hill 2 (delimited from Dr Maurice Cure road-Inkerman Street to Pere Laval Street and bounded by Vandermeersh) comprising mainly of the supply and laying of 12.7 km of pipeline and shifting of approximately 1,422 household connections.
