Mauritius sailing close to the wind!

This Wednesday 5th of June, the earth entire population will observe the World Environment Day which will be hosted in China.

Here in Mauritius, the event will surely be marked with the speech of a Minister of Environment who knows absolutely nothing about the reality outside his comfort zone. In recent years, we have seen the emergence of several companies in remote areas of Mauritius conducting activities which with time will without a doubt put our environment and health into jeopardy. For the last ten years, Mauritius has been facing serious environment issues with floods during heavy rainfall but this is only one side of the danger we are all facing.

It is a matter of fact that for a majority of the population, to prevent pollution the simplest way is to stop littering around. NO! The challenge is more important than just littering around. Has the Ministry of Ocean Economy conducted any study lately to get an idea what is happening to our reefs? Why is it that our reefs are bleaching year after year destroying marine life in the lagoons of Mauritius? From what we know no study whatsoever has been carried out, and no report exists on such capital issues! The main concern of the Ministry of Ocean Economy is to “Vey ourite, rekin ek labaleine”. The bleaching of our coral reefs is not a surprise to anybody who loves the sea, and the main cause of this is the discharging of unrecycled used water from factories using bleaching agents.

But in 2019, the main issue for the United Nations is Air Pollution. We can’t stop breathing but we can actually do something about the quality of air that we breathe. Should I mention that according to recent statistics, at least 7 million people die prematurely worldwide suffering from air pollution? On this note, the government of Mauritius should not forget that we are an open island and we have free air circulation all around.

Saying this, bringing a project in the South will have its repercussions to the people living in the center, East or West of the island. Upon this, we have to look in the devil’s eyes and face the truth. This coming summit in China will urge governments, industries, communities and individuals worldwide to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies, thus improving air quality in cities and regions across the world. We should not forget that Air Pollution costs the global economy $ 5 trillions each year from Welfare Costs.

It is indeed sad that this aspect of Air Pollution has been put aside by our government after seeing the number of projects from foreign investors being granted EIA Licenses without proper screening and we are about to get a monster of its kind in the region of L’Apastis, Bananes near Rose-Belle. We have serious apprehensions about the project of one Indian investor who wish to construct a Scrap Metal Foundry in this region known for its natural landscapes. From what I have learnt, the project will be a 24 hours operating foundry burning around 8 tons of rusted iron per hour. Has the quality and quantity of polluted ambient air including smoke, gases, heavy metals, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH’s) on the surrounding environment and its potential impact on human health been evaluated? The answer is blatantly, NO!

Coming to the facts! This project is a carbon copy of what Samlo Koyenco ltd is actually doing or must I say, has been doing for the last decade or so. Back in 2011, or the 1st July 2011, the Ministry of Environment himself sent an Enforcement Notice to the said company, followed by a Prohibition Notice at the end of the same month in the same year. On the 5th of October 2011, the Ministry of Environment further sent a Prohibition Notice to Samlo for Air Pollution Issues. Located at La Pipe, Midlands, Samlo Koyenco is not far from the proposed new Scrap Metal Foundry of EuroCasting Ltd, only some kilometers separate both sites. And who do not remember about the difficulties and problems faced by residents of Midlands with the Samlo issue. Yet, the same Ministry of Environment has granted an EIA License to the Indian promoter. Double celebration because, the Indian promoter has received his EIA Licence on the 31st January 2019 for both his Scrap Metal Foundry and his Waste Oil Refinery on the same site… God save our environment!

I shall end quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt, “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” 

Marwan Dawood