NOS RIVIERES POUBELLES

Une semaine après les pluies torrentielles qui ont laissé le triste bilan de quatre morts et de multiples dégâts, les rivières sont entrées dans les normes et ont repris leur lit. Elles sont actuellement témoins de la gigantesque pollution dont elles sont victimes à longueur d?année. Une séquence télévisée de tout ce vomissement de déchets de toutes les couleurs et de toutes les formes ? bouteilles, vieille ferraille, pneus usagés et mille autres ordures ? en dira long sur la désinvolture des Mauriciens par rapport à l?environnement. Nous continuons à dégrader impunément ? par ignorance, inconséquence et malpropreté ? ce qui nous reste de nos sites naturels.

Certains mettent leurs espoirs et leurs énergies à demander une île durable qui saura tirer profit de ses atouts naturels et nous ? les citoyens du pays ? n?avons pas su développer, au cours de ces 40 dernières années, une politique éclairée et structurée du respect de notre environnement.

Quels chapitres de nos manuels scolaires invitent les jeunes à ne pas polluer l?espace public ? Quelle campagne nationale, au niveau des municipalités et des conseils de village, pour faire respecter les règlements de base concernant la disposition des déchets ?

Il n?y a pas que nos rivières qui deviennent des poubelles. Quelqu?un me parlait de son éc?urement à l?issue d?une séance de cinéma de constater la désinvolture des spectateurs qui avaient jonché la salle autour d?eux des détritus de ce qu?ils avaient consommé. Quel manque de respect pour eux-mêmes ? pollueurs publics à l??uvre ? et pour ceux qui devront, par la suite, nettoyer la salle.

Nous avons actuellement besoin d?une solide campagne bien structurée pour apprendre à respecter ce qu?il nous reste de notre environnement. Informer et éduquer, d?une part, pour comprendre le bien-fondé des mesures disciplinaires promulguées. Punir et sévir, d?autre part, quand les règlements ne sont pas respectés.

Nos rivières poubelles nous tracent la voie de l?île poubelle que nous sommes en train de devenir. Le spectacle des routes principales de nos villes, «royales» de déchets multiples un lundi matin, en dit long sur le degré de malpropreté publique que nous avons atteint.

Monique DINAN

TO JUSTICE BHUSAN DOMAH

Your Honour, Mauritius has lived a traumatic day on the 26/27 March. A waterspout broke in the region of The Mount towards Nouvelle Découverte. All the water in the dark clouds hovering around fell within minutes causing floods and desolation around River Citron. The Mount and Mon-Goût have been the most affected in Pamplemousses. The district of Flacq had its share of the effects of the natural catastrophe. It is obvious that the meteorological station could not pinpoint the watershed. In fact, it could not even foresee the tragedy because the bulging clouds came down fast and emptied the water to lighten themselves.

It is worth noting that a similar waterspout hit the same place on the 12/13 November 1959 with devastating outcomes in the districts of Pamplemousses and Rivière-du-Rempart. It dropped at Canton Nancy, The Mount at around four a.m. Three members of a family perished. There was thunder and lightning. The wife of Adam Oliman woke up her husband to show him the level of water rising inside their house. By the time Adam realised the danger he was in, his house was swept away together with his wife and two sons, Idris and Azim. He struggled hard to reach safety by holding to a tree awaiting the moment when he would see his family again. At nine a.m., three corpses were found at some distance away, those of his wife and two sons.

Pamplemousses Garden had become a lake. Many fishes were lost. The escaped stags were caught later on. The railings along the road leading towards the church were carried away together with a part of the bridge. The areas lying between Tombeau passing through Arsenal, Moulin à Poudre, Bois-Rouge till Fond-du- Sac and nearly half of Triolet were under water with violent currents. Tombeau Bridge was undone. The road by Merven Lake was dug up. The same occurred at Bramsthan, Cinéma Cassé. The worst happened along River Citron.

At 5.30 a.m., just as the bus whose plate number was B689 of the Triolet Bus Service was crossing, the strong currents carried away the bridge as well as the bus which lay damaged on its side on the stones downstream. The occupants managed to come out safe and sound, but shaken. Sixty houses were directly affected in Triolet and four were completely destroyed. At Forbach, Fond-du-Sac, the shop of Ramroop Gungadeen was flooded. The broad bay at Balaclava between the actual Maritim and La Plantation hotels were full to the tip from one end to the other. The tourist centres there must always be on their guard.

One hundred and twenty six houses were affected in Le Ravin, La Clémence, l?Amitié, Plaine-des-Roches, Cottage and Roches-Noires. Iswarduth Khadoo, a young boy, got drowned while trying to swim in the flood waters at Roches Noires. At l?Amitié, Payen Appadoo tore out of his house through the roof by means of a rope and succeeded in saving his family. Coquimbourg Bridge was obstructed with stones. The geomorphology of the river called Rivière du Rempart was completely modified with a deeper bed and more abrupt cliffs. Bassin Ramdass and Bassin Mamzelle became things of the past. All the bridges across the river became dangerous for they threatened ruin.

The worst to suffer were the animals that were either tied to posts inside their sheds or enclosed without any means of escape. Many people put their lives in danger to free them by cutting off their halter. In spite of such efforts, a large number got drowned and several of them floated down the waters in their bloated forms. Domestic birds underwent the same fate as they were caught unaware in the early and dark morning. Prices of vegetables rose to the joy of a few but to the detriment of buyers. Women, especially, said the end of the world had come and prayed God fervently. By eight o?clock, the water had subsided and there was sunshine.

Immediately after the terrible floods, Dr S. Ramgoolam went to visit the disaster-struck regions as he would to do after every major cyclone that hit the country. He was accompanied by Minister Laventure and doctors Lorenzi and Balgobin. Food vouchers were given to the victims to tide over difficulties after the loss of their victuals.

Your Honour, had Mauritians been made to recall the waterspout of half a century ago, many misunderstandings and useless scapegoating and mud-slinging would have been avoided. Nature in its changeable shape will continue to play us tricks, particularly in a sub-tropical climate like ours. Nobody could prognosticate an identical catastrophe in the same place so many years later. This one goes beyond human Ken.

Let us hope the Fact-Finding Committee under your Chairmanship dots the i?s and crosses the t?s.

Nivriti SEWTOHUL