Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I shall reply to the question. I wish to inform the House of a wastewater spill incident which occurred on 10 June 2026 at around 14:00 hours from a broken sewer pipe of diameter 280 mm, located near the SLDC Pumping Station belonging to the Wastewater Management Authority at La Tour Koenig Industrial Zone, following excavation works carried out by the contractor, Gokhool Engineering and Construction Company Limited for laying of PVC pipes. Now, this resulted in the discharge of around 400 m³ of effluent into the natural water path leading to Canal Golden, Pointe aux Sables. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (a) of the question, several measures to contain the spillage and reduce the environmental impact on the environment as part of the decontamination were initiated by the Contractor in consultation with officers of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, the Minister of Agro- Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Wastewater Management Authority and the City Council of Port Louis. Now, these measures included the following – (a) repair of the broken sewer pipe, which was completed on 11 June 2026; (b) temporary stoppage of discharge of effluent by nearby textile industry into the damaged sewer network; (c) pumping of effluent from casualty sites situated at La Tour Koenig Industrial Zone. (d) removal of dead fish and other aquatic organisms from Canal Golden to attenuate odours, and (e) pumping of accumulated wastewater in the Canal Golden bordering Pointe aux Sables by wastewater carriers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as at 20 June 2026, around 3,800 cubic meters, including wastewater from the trenches and Canal Golden have been pumped out and collected jointly by the Wastewater Management Authority and the appointed representative of the Contractor, under close supervision of the Department of Environment of the Ministry concerned. The collected wastewater was subsequently conveyed to Montagne Jacquot Wastewater Treatment Plant for advanced primary treatment. I am informed that the Wastewater Management Authority had, on 19 June 2026, submitted an interim claim amounting to - almost one million rupees - Rs941,927.28 to the Contractor and representing the operational expenses and asset deployment for mitigation of the environmental nuisances near SLDC Pumping Station. I wish to reassure the House that the general public was regularly apprised of the situation through communications by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change on the 13th, 15th, 16th and 30th June 2026 and by the Wastewater Management Authority on the 16 of June 2026. In accordance with Section 109 of the Environment Act 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change served a Programme Notice upon the Contractor on 15 June 2026, requesting the submission of a written Programme of Measures within two days. The request made by the Contractor for an extension of one week to compile, review and submit a Programme of Measures based on the findings of the test results of the sediment and water samples was approved on 19 June 2026, subject to the following conditions – 1. The Contractor continues the pumping operation until the water complies with existing laws; 2. The Contractor undertakes necessary measures at its level and own cost to ensure monitoring on a regular basis, by an independent accredited lab, of the water quality in the canal and lagoons, including the analysis of sediment for 10 trace metals, and this, in coordination with the National Environmental Laboratory of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change and the Blue Economy Fisheries Division of my Ministry and the result of the analysis is expected, and I hope we will have the result by 02 July 2026. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, upon submission of the Programme of Measures on 23 June 2026 by the Contractor, a consultative meeting was subsequently held on 25 June 2026 to consider the measures and assess their implementation on site. The following was agreed as part of the decontamination strategy of the site – 1. Removal of solid debris present in the affected watercourse, including cans, plastic material and branches by the City Council of Port Louis, which started as from 25 June 2026 up to 30 June 2026; 2. After the cleanup operation, desilting of the canal bed up to a depth of 15 cm to start as from July 2026 during the low tide, and the sediment removed from the canal bed will be sent to L’Agrément Saint Pierre, the yard owned by the engineering company. The services of a specialised firm will be contracted to treat and remediate the affected sediment; 3. The sediment will be replaced by sand obtained from commercially operated sand quarries; 4. continued monitoring will be maintained by the Ministry of Environment, and Agro-Industry; 5. The Forestry Services and National Parks and Conservation Service of the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries will advise on plants and species for the rehabilitation of the vegetation along the canal and natural water path. Pursuant to the Programme of Measures submitted, the cost of the remediation will be borne by the Contractor, in line with the Polluter Pays Principle. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (b) of the question, I am informed that the matter has been reported to Pointe aux Sables Police Station via OB 505/2026 by the Sergeant in Charge shift of the Pointe aux Sables Police Station on 11 June 2026. The case has been referred to the Central Investigation Division for investigation on 24 June 2026, and the investigation is still ongoing.

Yes.

Merci. Toujours dans le même esprit de transparence, l'honorable ministre pourrait-il déposer sur la table de l'Assemblée, les résultats des analyses environnementales effectuées, les rapports d'enquête qu'il aurait à sa disposition concernant cet incident et pourrait-il indiquer si des cas de problèmes de santé susceptibles d'être liés à cet incident ont été signalés aux autorités sanitaires à cause de la contamination bactériologique et chimique ?

The hon. Member can rest assured that all relevant information will be laid on the Table of the National Assembly. As you know, there have been preliminary results. I can submit the preliminary results without any hiccup. But as to the firm results, we will have to wait for the lab to submit its report. As to the other reports, we have no problem. But the hon. Member does realise that we have addressed this problem forcefully and meaningfully to make sure that no one suffers from the outcome of this disaster.

Est-ce que je peux avoir une dernière?

You have a last question? Okay!

Par rapport aux mesures correctives, le ministre peut-il indiquer, surtout à la lumière des communiqués de la WMA, est-ce qu'il pourrait indiquer si des manquements opérationnels techniques ou administratifs, mais surtout techniques, auraient été identifiés et auraient contribué à cet incident? Quelles mesures disciplinaires ou correctives ont été envisagées ?

I have replied to that question. I have said that the polluters must pay. The engineering company has to live up to its expectations and has to assume its responsibility fully and pay according to provisions of the law in relation to compensation that has to be disbursed.

I suspend the Sitting for one and a half hour! At 1.01 p.m., the Sitting was suspended. On resuming at 2.31 p.m. with the Deputy Speaker in the Chair.

Please be seated! The hon. Third Member for Beau Bassin and Petite Rivière! ALALILA PLATFORM – TAXI OPERATORS – REPRESENTATIONS & NLTA APPROVAL