NEW DAMS UNDER PLANNING FOR MAHE, LA DIGUE AND PRASLIN
(Posted 20th November 2017)
As work is going underway soon to increase the capacity of the main water reservoir and dam on the Seychelles’ main island of Mahe by a massive 60 percent is the water company (Public Utilities Corporation) already looking further ahead.
With tourist numbers this year likely to reach four times the size of the general population in the Seychelles, and further growth anticipated in coming years, is it important to plan ahead and ensure that sufficient water supply is available to cater for both the domestic as well as the hotel and resort market.
It was learned during a recent visit to the islands on occasion of the annual Festival Kreol, that indeed the planning for more dams and even boreholes has started, covering the three most populated islands Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.
A new dam at Grand Anse will, when complete, reach a capacity of 1 million cubic metres of water. Notably are plans to use the elevation difference between dam and lower levels to install a small hydroelectric plant for some 100 KW, enough to supply the immediate neighbourhood with electricity.
On the second largest island of Praslin has a site on the Plaine Hollandaise been identified and design planning is underway for that project too with a capacity of 50.000 cubic metres of water, the same as the existing reservoir offers.
On La Digue are borehole sites under consideration and the respective studies are underway to also increase fresh water supply on that island.
The African Development Bank has pledged a grant of one million US Dollars towards the planning stages for all sites, dams and boreholes though the construction funding is yet to be sourced.
