SLOWLY BUT SURELY IS INFRASTRUCTURE RESTORED ON FARQUHAR
(Posted 25th October 2016)
Infrastructure damages on the Seychelles’ island of Farquhar was said to be massive following three hits by tropical cyclone Fantala in April this year.
When discussing the issue with locals while on Mahe for the annual Carnival International de Victoria was it made abundantly clear that the twists and turns of the cyclone led to unprecedented destruction as winds struck from different directions every time the storm returned to the island. This left much of the housing, storage and electricity / water infrastructure unserviceable and the core team left on the island – the majority of staff had left ahead of the storm – had to be evacuated.
Now, half a year after the storm of the century, is reconstruction progressing according to information from the Island Development Company which manages Farquhar.
Enhanced building techniques are being employed to ensure that the new buildings can sustain and withstand such storms in the future and keep staff safe while the storm rages overhead.
The damages were estimated to reach as high as 5 million US Dollars while the income generated from various economic activities on Farquhar is in the region of some 6 to 7 million Seychelles Rupees,
With much of the vegetation, including palm trees, destroyed, this too needs to be restored and reaching full productivity again will according to information received take at least 7 year.
The World Bank has pledged financial support towards the reconstruction but while assessments are undertaken and grants / loans finalized has the Seychelles government already sunk nearly a million US Dollars into the reconstruction programme.
Related articles from April this year can be accessed through the following links:
https://atcnews.org/2016/04/19/fantala-hits-remote-seychelles-island/
https://atcnews.org/2016/04/29/farquhar-takes-an-unprecedented-three-hits-from-cyclone-fantala/
