Floods “directly linked” to development planning

Faced with the increase in extreme weather phenomena linked to climate change, specialists are sounding the alarm. A Geographical Information System (GIS) professional, specialized in Flood Modeling and Urban Planning and working in the private sector as a consultant, warns against floods in particular, which continue to grow, taking into account the implacable truth to the effect that there are no less than 300 Flood Prone Areas in the country. “Floods are a natural disaster that will increase more and more in the future and it is imperative to adapt to this phenomenon,” he warns. There are four types of floods in Mauritius: Flash Flood, Riverine Flood, Coastal Flood and Urban Flood.

This consultant recalls that floods can be deadly, like ten years ago, on March 30, 2013, with the death of 11 people, when it rained for two hours straight, with 152 mm of rain in Port-Louis , and 123 mm of rain in the South. His observations regarding the floods of 7 and 8 relate to two regions in the south of the country. And it calls into question the very way in which certain developments were planned and carried out.

First, regarding the village of Souillac, the professional underlines that in ten years, numerous developments in terms of subdivisions and road works have taken place, upstream of Lady Barkly Street. “These developments over ten years channeled water from heavy rains to the lowest regions of Souillac, with enormous velocity, which damaged infrastructure as well as private residences. Flooding is directly linked to infrastructure development planning. When planning infrastructure, you have to think about waterways and how to channel them. The development of infrastructure must not represent a risk of flooding…”, he emphasizes.

He also said he noted that the rivers were overflowing their beds, “this can happen with the intensity of the showers but it also occurs when these constructions have been established in previous years, increasing the push of water towards the rivers. Additionally, failure to maintain our water pipe systems also increases the risk of flooding. "

As for the village of Chemin-Grenier, more precisely the New Mosque Road, if drains were installed to deal with recurring flooding in this location, “these did not work,” says this consultant. And this, before asking: “Who is to blame? Was public money invested to waste and make the community even more vulnerable to flooding? » He insists once again that development is important for the economy and the progress of the country, "but we need infrastructure development which is healthy and which does not put at risk other infrastructures, the economy and the very lives of all citizens. "

Problème de maintenance

The consultant does not mince his words on the subject, arguing that the flooding problem will worsen "because for 40 years, we have been entitled to haphazard development, which does not take into consideration the protection of our watercourses. We cannot go back on our past mistakes, but we must learn the lesson and rectify the situation, particularly in terms of civil engineering studies for construction and taking into consideration the risks of flooding. "

He also laments that following all the road and infrastructure developments in recent years, “there is a huge maintenance problem that has gotten out of control across the entire country!” I am mainly referring to drains, bridges, culverts, rivers and drainage routes. » In this regard, he hopes that the authorities will issue press releases on the concrete actions that are regularly carried out across the country for the maintenance of canals and drains, among others. Incidentally, this professional wonders what happens to the large budget for cleaning these important structures for the flow of water in the country, both at the level of the government and local communities.

On the other hand, given the astronomical sums allocated to the construction of drains by the present government, he finds it a shame that we do not see these projects “complete as they should”. On this subject, in an enigmatic tone, he asks himself questions: “is the government operating as it should? Is there good governance in its practices? Is there The right man in the right place? And until when will the population continue to pay the price for the decisions of certain people? "

Lots of questions, few answers...

This consultant deplores that "the authorities are rushing to make developments, because of the promises made, particularly in terms of social housing, and this without even carrying out the appropriate studies on the sites concerned, but once again it is the population who will face serious consequences in the future…”

As such, he also asks what the government intends to do to help people affected by the floods: “What will the government do to help them rebuild their lives? » This professional believes that a Daily Allowance is not enough because they have lost their furniture, their household appliances, not to mention the trauma they have experienced "because of bad decisions of this government," and therefore it is logical, d 'after him, may the government come to their aid. He concludes that “unfortunately we ask ourselves a lot of questions over the years, but we have few answers! "