Fire: Ecological disaster at the Mare-Chicose center
The landfill of Mare-Chicose has been on fire for several days. Indeed, a fire broke out since Tuesday and has still not been controlled. More than thirty firefighters from various units have been trying to control the fire. Authorities are hoping for a return to normalcy before next week.
The fire spread over an area of about 200 square meters and the cause is still unknown. Mauritius produces about 475,000 tons of waste a year and Mare-Chicose is the only landfill. It receives some 1,200 tons of waste per day. Several studies had sounded the alarm about the saturation of the Mare-Chicose center and the negative impact on the environment.
The inhabitants of the surrounding areas are concerned for their health although the authorities guarantee that there have been no reported victims of respiratory distress at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Rose Belle or in the public health centers of the surrounding areas. These health centers remain available to those experiencing symptoms related to the fire. Air and water quality tests in the surrounding areas are being conducted regularly. The results obtained at this stage are within the norms.
More than 1,000 families do not have access to electricity and drinking water
These are alarming numbers. 1,200 households still do not have access to electricity in Mauritius, while 1,000 families are not connected to the Central Water Authority (CWA) network, thus do not have access to drinking water. These are the findings of a Statistics Mauritius study. Also, some 500 families live without toilets, 600 households do not have a kitchen and 1,200 others do not have a bathroom.
Another 700 families still use charcoal and wood for cooking.
