the Mare Chicose Landfill Waste Site, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain information as to – (a)…
(No. B/759) Mr M. Seeburn (Second Member for Vieux Grand Port & Rose Belle) asked the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change whether, in regard to the Mare Chicose Landfill Waste Site, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain information as to – (a) whether the contractor managing and operating same since 2014 to 2024 held a valid fire certificate in respect thereof and, if not, why not, and (b) the amount charged by the Solid Waste Management Division for managing the sites over the period 2014-2024, indicating the – (i) additional funds claimed, if any, following each fire outbreak, and (ii) measures put in place to avert and combat future fire outbreaks.
Madam Speaker, with regard to part (a) of the question and according to records available at the Ministry, I wish to inform the House that for the period 2014 à 2024, the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service gave its ‘no objection’ to Mare Chicose landfill project subject to a number of conditions. I have been informed that all these conditions have been addressed except for the installation of a permanent pressurised pipeline. Madam Speaker, I am informed that provision was made for a pressurised firefighting pipeline in the new contract for the vertical expansion of the landfill awarded in June 2024 to the joint-venture Sotravic/Strata. The design for the pipeline, including tape works, at a suitable location along the nearby La Chaux River has been prepared by the landfill Consultant,
81 Cowi/Luxconsult and already approved by the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service. The construction of a pipeline is scheduled to start by end of November 2025. Madam Speaker, with regard to part(b) the of the question, a total amount of Rs2.977 billion was disbursed for various running contracts for the period 2014 to June 2024 to joint- venture Sotravic/Eneotech. Madam Speaker, concerning part (b)(i) of the question, I wish to inform the House that the period January 2014 to June 2024, no amount has been disbursed to the contractor for firefighting. However, further to a major fire outbreak on November 2024, the contractor joint- venture Sotravic/Strata has submitted a contractual claim amounting to Rs33.31 million out of which an amount of Rs23.18 million has been rejected and the remaining is still being assessed by the Consultant. I have also been informed by the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service that Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service has submitted a claim from Rs4.7 million as expenditure incurred during the firefighting at the landfill in November 2024. Madam Speaker, regarding part (b) (ii) of the question, I wish to inform the House that the landfill has an existing contingency plan aiming to mitigate and to combat fire outbreak at the landfill. Under this plan, the contractor is required to undertake, amongst others, the following – (i) deploy standby team with a water tanker on a 24-hour basis to extinguish any fire outbreak; (ii) call the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service to combat fire if required; (iii) carry compaction of waste and cover with salt to prevent ingress of oxygen in affected areas, and (iv) arrange to deploy other resources like excavators and water tankers should the need arise.
Thank you, hon. Minister. The hon. Second Member for Savanne and Black River, Mr Jugurnauth! RIVIÈRE DES GALETS – BEACH EROSION – CAVADEE PLATFORM
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