Africa-Press – Mauritius. At the launch of the Consultation Meeting on standards of 12,000 residential units project, organised by the New Social Living Development Ltd (NSLD), this afternoon, at the Conference Hall of the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower in Ebène Cybercity, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, and Minister of Tourism, Mr Steven Obeegadoo, appealed to representatives of the public and private sectors as well as the civil society to provide their views, comments and suggestions to better the social housing project for the benefit of the population.
The Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo; the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano; the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Stephan Toussaint; the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, and other personalities were also present at this second Consultative Meeting.
The event followed the Partners and Stakeholders Meeting, which was held on 14 July 2022 by the NSLD to, among others, present the architectural design of the residential units.
This second Meeting discussed the four standards proposed for the 12,000 residential units project, located across 50 sites in Mauritius. These standards comprised the liveable housing design principles; sustainable communities; healthy living and inclusive communities; and environment sustainability.
In his address, the Deputy Prime Minister underlined the responsibility of Government to provide decent quality housing to respond to the needs and demands of the population.
He stressed that Government was not only focusing on the number of residential units but also on the quality of life of the future residents through the right environment that suited their needs while uplifting their quality of life.
According to the Housing Minister, the 12,000 residential units project is an ambitious but challenging endeavour which the Government intended to complete by 2024. He pointed out that it was a race against time with the numerous constraints namely unsuitability of terrains after geotechnical investigations.
Talking on the latest update regarding the project, Mr Obeegadoo stated that calls for tenders had already been launched since August 2022, and that these ongoing exercises would end by November 2022 so that the construction of the first residential units would kick off by October 2022.
He thus invited stakeholders and participants at the Consultative Meeting to express their opinions and share constructive criticisms on the project which, he said, would have lasting impacts on the beneficiaries.
The importance of living spaces that catered for all age groups, situations and needs was underscored by the Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity as she spoke of the significance of the 12,000 residential units project for vulnerable families.
Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo remarked that owning a home provided stability and security to families, contributing thereby to the psychosocial and academic development of children.
In addition, she emphasised the necessity to enhance accessibility to homes for the disabled and the elderly in any housing project. As for Minister Ramano, he put forward the role that the construction industry could play in the shift towards a low-carbon economy through decarbonisation.
He urged the local construction sector to seize the opportunity of the 12,000 residential units project to change their approach and adopt the circular economy mindset with new efficient building designs, the re-use of building materials, the use of renewable energy and other innovations to eliminate carbon emissions from construction sites.
He averred, too, that in the light of climate change and its consequences, new buildings had to be more resilient and sustainable. Both Mr Toussaint and Jagutpal elaborated on the relevance for the new housing projects to integrate leisure and recreational facilities to encourage physical activity and healthy living among future residents.
The Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation evoked the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people and was adamant that the housing project had to ensure that adequate leisure spaces and sports infrastructure were allotted to the youths.
The Health Minister, for his part, expounded on the way that proper housing conditions such as adequate water supply, sanitation facilities, safe building materials, and sufficient living space could improve the physical, mental and social well-being of future residents.
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