Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Renganaden Padayachy, enunciated, during his presentation of the Budget 2023-2024, a series of measures to build a more sustainable and environmentally friendly society while enhancing the country’s economic, social and environmental foundations to make Mauritius a climate resilient country
The key measures are:
Provision of some Rs 3 billion under the flood mitigation programme targeting flood prone regions across the country; Rs 1.6 billion for projects under the National Environment and Climate Change Fund (NECCF) to address climate change, and allocation of Rs 278 million for the beach rehabilitation works, lagoons and coral reefs programme as well as the rehabilitation of another 20 km of eroded shoreline at 21 priority sites over the next 5 years.
They are namely at Baie du Cap, Trou aux Biches, Blue Bay, Albion, Le Morne, Riambel, Pointe des Lascars, Pointe des Regates, Pointe d’Esny, St Félix, La Prairie, La Preneuse, Rivière des Galets, La Mivoie Rivière Noire, Bois des Amourettes, Poste de Flacq, Deux Frères, Flic en Flac to Wolmar, Rivière des Créoles to Vieux Grand-Port, Grand Baie and Souillac.
Moreover, to reinforce existing works to fight coastal erosion, Government is catering for remedial works at Bain Boeuf, Mont Choisy, Le Morne, Grand Sable and Baie du Cap; adaptation measures at Souillac Cemetery over some 300 metres; landslide rehabilitation works at Rivière des Creoles along A15 Road, Rivière des Anguilles Bridge and along B103 Road at Chamarel; and upgrading of beach access, cleaning of lagoons.
Other infrastructural amenities include: creation of a swimming zone at Riambel public beach; construction of a panoramic viewpoint at La Prairie public beach; erosion mitigating measures at Bras D’Eau public beach; construction of an access road at Blue Bay Marine Park Centre; rehabilitation of Mahebourg waterfront; installation of 162 segregation bins on public beaches; upgrading public beach at Bois des Damourites as well as the entrance and exit accesses of public beaches at Pointe aux Piments, Mont-Choisy, Trou aux Biches, Roches Noires, Poste La Fayette, Belle Mare, Caro Bringel, Gris-Gris and Bel Ombre.
As regard cleaning and embellishment projects, Budget 2023-2024 earmarked Rs 523 million. They are as follows: Rs 235 million for the acquisition of modern tipper lorries for more effective waste collection and disposal; Rs 115 million for cleaning and embellishment of public and other sites across the island, including places of worship, rivers, children’s playgrounds, health tracks as well as for bulky wastes collection; and Rs 90 million for the cleaning, desilting, rehabilitation and upgrading of drains, bridges and rivers by local authorities at major flood prone regions.
Furthermore, the National Environment Cleaning Agency (NECA) will extend its programme to motorways and some 300 sites across the island. Government will also launch a one million Tree Plantation Programme.
NECA and Mauri-Facilities are expected to plant trees in public spaces across the island. Subsequently, to better control the use of plastic bottles and aluminium cans, a deposit-refund scheme will be introduced.
The recycling rate of used PET bottles is currently at around 40 percent. In a bid to encourage recycling of a used PET bottles locally, Government is doubling the rate of refund from Rs 15 per kg to Rs 30 per kg of PET bottles.
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