Reply: An Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and comprising my colleague ministers from the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Local Government, relevant stakeholders including technical experts, representatives of the local authority and the Police Department, was set up to collaboratively examine the management of Ile aux Benitiers. Several joint site visits were also carried out to assess the nature and extent of damage to Ile aux Benitiers. As a result of which, structures were pulled down by the Special Mobile Force, procedures were initiated by my Ministry for the cleaning of the islet, a comprehensive deratisation exercise was undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Mauritius Society for Animal Welfare assisted in capturing and bringing stray animals to main land. Concurrently, a constant and inclusive dialogue was engaged with operators and traders active on the islet with a view to regularising their status. Consultations were also held with the ‘collectif’ and ‘plaisanciers’ of the region to best address their concerns. In parallel, a dedicated Technical Committee under my Ministry is actively working out a Sustainable Master Plan aimed at balancing ecological preservation with socioeconomic needs. A follow-up site visit in this regard has been scheduled on 09 April 2025. RING ROAD PROJECT – PHASES 2 & 3 – IMPLEMENTATION