Water shortage has been hitting the French department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, for several months now. But the situation is not improving. The water towers, that is to say the network cuts, will be reinforced to cope with what represents the worst drought since 1997.
1 min
With our correspondent in the region, Lola Fourmy
The level of hill reservoirs, which provide most of the drinking water to the archipelago, has never been so low at this time in Mayotte. Also the prefecture announced, Wednesday, August 23, longer and more numerous water cuts.
The resource is dwindling faster than expected, the strengthening of measures in July was not enough. Withdrawals from the hill reservoirs in fact exceed the objectives set to compensate for the drop in the flow of the rivers.
Result: without new restrictions, the deductions would be completely empty by the end of September. Hence the hardening of these water towers in emergency, and this from September 4th.
In economic centers such as Mamoudzou or Petite-Terre, the daily cuts will therefore be reinforced by an additional cut of 36 hours. Everywhere else, there will now be between four and five days of total blackout per week.
The authorities ensure that the emergency work launched by the water union should bear fruit, but not before November.
Until then, it is system D for the inhabitants and in particular the students, who have resumed this week. But the prefecture reassures: water bottles will be distributed to each of them.
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