Malaysians still want to build coal power plant in Mauritius

Earlier the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee rejected the proposal for the 110 megawatts plant, which would have been built at Pointe aux Caves, near Albion.

Among the reasons given were its proximity to residential areas, road traffic issues, socio-economic impact, noise pollution, its impact on fauna and flora, and pollution.

The NGOs in favour of the project believe it was dismissed because of “pressure due to strong lobbying”. Among them, Human Service Trust (HST) president Sooroojlall Bissessur, Prakash Bauhadoor and Premchand Boojhawon, treasurer and secretary general of the HST respectively. 

The HST members believe that the authorities have contradicted themselves by saying that the site does not conform to a development project.

According to Mr Bissessur, it is the government itself and the Central Electricity Board which had allocated the land for this project.

Mr Sundram Subramaniam, head of a Malaysian group of promoters in Mauritius, has reportedly spent about Rs300 million on the project.