the Tamarin Public beach, he will state whether the upgrading thereof is being envisaged and, if so, indicat…
(No. B/297) Mr S. Jugurnauth (Second Member for Savanne & Black River) asked the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change whether, in regard to the Tamarin Public beach, he will state whether the upgrading thereof is being envisaged and, if so, indicate whether consideration will be given for – (a) the provision of toilet facilities and additional amenities thereat, and (b) desilting works to be carried out at the mouth of the river thereat to prevent beach erosion.
Reply: I am informed by the Beach Authority that Tamarin Beach of an extent of 2.19 Ha with a sea frontage of approximately 410m was proclaimed as public beach through General Notice 206 of 1940. As regards part (a) of the question, I wish to inform the House that there is one toilet block at Tamarin public beach which is fully operational and caters for the current demand. Other amenities already available on the public beach are, benches, picnic tables, lighting pole, bins, kiosk, fire places and open shower, amongst others. All the amenities are functional, in good condition and the beach is cleaned and well maintained on a daily basis by a cleaning contractor. The provision of additional amenities on the beach will depend on the availability of funds. As for part (b) of the question, I am further informed by the Beach Authority that the river and its outlet into the sea do not form part of the proclaimed public beach of Tamarin. However, the House may wish to note that following the passage of Cyclone Belal, a joint site inspection was conducted on 23 May 2024, by the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Division of my Ministry, the Beach Authority, and the Forestry Service. It was observed that there was a localised coastal erosion, and immediate remedial measures, including removal of weakened trees and stumps, were then undertaken by the Forestry Service. A follow-up visit on 29 August 2024 by my Ministry confirmed that the beach had largely recovered naturally, with only minor residual escarpments observed. While conditions are presently stable, the site remains under periodic monitoring. I wish to highlight that desilting of the Tamarin river mouth falls under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and the latter has informed that desilting at the mouth of the river is not technically advisable as the sea level is higher than the water level of the river and separated by an estuary. In the event the estuary is removed, same will be formed again due to tidal action. However, desilting can be envisaged to remove any accumulated debris over the estuary and upstream part of the river. YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT – CURRENT RATE – EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES