Mauritius government addresses severe water crisis

Mauritius is facing a significant water crisis as reservoir levels drop due to low rainfall. The Mare aux Vacoas reservoir has fallen below 34%, with projections suggesting it could drop to 20% by November if precipitation does not increase. In response, Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has established an interministerial committee, involving eight ministries including Energy, Health, and Agro-industry, to examine short- and medium-term solutions alongside the Central Water Authority and the Water Resources Commission.

To mitigate shortages, authorities are exploring the use of private underground aquifers and channeling river water through new container pressure filters. In several central plateau regions, water distribution has been restricted to once every two days for durations between three and eight hours.

Additionally, the government is managing a subsidy program to provide water tanks and domestic pumps to households. While the initiative currently prioritizes families without any storage systems, Minister of Public Services Patrick Assirvaden indicated that the program may be extended to households that already possess existing storage tanks. To date, 28,306 applications have been submitted through the Central Water Authority.