While the French department of Mayotte is facing its worst drought since 1997, the new Minister in charge of Overseas Philippe Vigier went there this Saturday, September 2. To respond to the water crisis, announced distributions of water bottles to the most vulnerable – pregnant women, children in particular – the arrival of tanks, but also measures for businesses. Because drinking water is only usable there one day out of three.
2 mins
This is his first official trip to the Indian Ocean. The new French Minister in charge of Overseas Philippe Vigier was this Saturday in Mayotte, after a first stage of three days in Reunion. He announced emergency measures to respond to the water crisis in Mayottewhere the situation is increasingly untenable.
The Minister Delegate promises a real Marshall plan for Mayotte “. According to the minister’s office, companies will receive aid to offset their fixed costs. The State also announces the deployment of fifteen cisterns in the coming days, which will be filled thanks to a water treatment station, for a budget of 2.5 million euros.
Asked about the price of bottled water, by the weekly Mayotte HeboPhilippe Vigier ensures that everything will be done to reduce this cost “: ” We will make sure to put pressure on the distributors “, he continues. Quoted by AFP, the deputy Les Républicains Mansour Kamardine welcomes for his part the distribution of bottles of water, but he regrets that he ” it took the crisis for us to have investments » on Mayotte water infrastructures.
This department, the poorest in France, is currently experiencing its worst drought since 1997. For several months now, water has been distributed drop by drop to the 300,000 inhabitants identified. Because to save these resources, the authorities have announced that drinking water will no longer be accessible only one day out of three from Monday 4 September.
Measures to help Reunionese sugar cane producers
During his trip to Reunion, from Wednesday to Friday, the Minister Delegate was arrested by sugar cane growers. They expressed their concern at a sharp drop in production for several years on the island. At the end of the 2022 sugar campaign, 1.3 million tonnes of cane were crushed in the two factories in the department, i.e. 21% less than the ten-year average, according to the Reunion Department of Agriculture.
Philippe Vigier recalled that ” over 100 millions of euros were on the table in 2023 to help Reunion cane producers.
Read alsoThe water crisis in Mayotte comes after “many years of inertia”