Water disaster in Mayotte: the State will cowl water payments from September to December

From September to December, the State will cowl the water payments of Mayotte residents going through a severe scarcity of this very important useful resource on their island, Élisabeth Borne introduced Thursday in a press launch.

Increasing the distribution of free bottled water

“Water service subscribers is not going to must pay payments for the months of September to December 2023, given the very important deterioration of the service supplied to the general public,” mentioned the Prime Minister on the finish of the assembly. an interministerial assembly on this topic. The federal government additionally plans to “regularly broaden” till mid-November the distribution of free bottled water, at the moment restricted to 50,000 of probably the most susceptible folks, due to extra deliveries of bottles from Reunion and the hexagon.

A supply near the matter mentions an growth of this distribution to round 100,000 folks. Some 300 troopers and civilians shall be deployed to Mayotte to make sure the logistics of this distribution, together with 50 training assistants in colleges. As well as, 30 nursing workers will strengthen the workforce on the Mamoudzou hospital middle “within the coming days”, and an “support system” for companies affected by these shortages shall be put in place “throughout November”.

To take care of this water disaster resulting from a extreme drought, the state has intensified cuts and continues to be contemplating extending them, anticipating a tough “six to eight weeks”. Since September 4, the Mahorese inhabitants (310,000 inhabitants as of January 1, 2023, in response to INSEE) has been disadvantaged of water two days out of three.

Mayotte going through its worst drought since 1997

Élisabeth Borne introduced collectively in Matignon Thursday afternoon as regards to this disaster the ministers Gérald Darmanin (Inside), Sébastien Lecornu (Protection), Gabriel Attal (Training), Marc Fesneau (Agriculture), Aurélien Rousseau (Well being), Aurore Bergé ( Solidarités), Olivia Grégoire (SME), and Philippe Vigier (Abroad). The poorest division in France is going through its worst drought since 1997, whereas its provide relies upon largely on rainwater.

Rainfall deficits are aggravated by a scarcity of infrastructure and funding in a territory which, underneath stress from unlawful immigration notably from the neighboring Comoros, is experiencing demographic progress of 4% per 12 months. The 2 hill reservoirs (water storage constructions), which usually present 80% of the provision, with the rivers, are virtually dry.

When their emptying is full, throughout October, the Mahorais territory will solely have the ability to rely on its rivers, its groundwater and on the manufacturing of its desalination plant, whereas ready for the wet season to recharge the reserves from November. Nevertheless, even when the wet season begins at first of November, as standard, “it’ll take time to replenish the hill reservoirs”, warned the prefect in control of water in Mayotte, Gilles Cantal.

Emergency work has been undertaken (drilling, leak detection, community interconnection, and so on.) however ought to solely bear fruit in the long term. The development of a second desalination plant and a 3rd hill reservoir undertaking are additionally deliberate.