Construction work to raise Seychelles’ main reservoir La Gogue Dam will start in November. The project will increase the dam’s water storage capacity. This, in turn, will increase the country’s water supply.
China’s Sinohydro Corporation is in charge of the dam built in 1969 in the northern Mahe district of Anse Etoile. Once completed in 2019, the reservoir’s capacity will increase to a total storage capacity of 1.6 million cubic metres.
A new water treatment plan is in the works as one of the projected facilities. The plan will have the capacity of treating 4,400 cubic metres of water in a day. As a result, the northern region will have guaranteed water supply.
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The chief executive of the Public Utilities Corporation, Philippe Morin, said that the quality of the work for raising the dam is the key in the implementation of the project. The 2-year contract for the project has an approximated cost of $13.6m.
Residents concerns
However, some residents are concerned about the project’s impact on their living standards. Most of them with properties around the location set for the dam’s construction want assurance on compensation. They are also wary because of pollution.
Morin assured the public of measures to minimize the negative impacts. These include steps to ensure adequate water supply once water in the dam is not available for consumption.
At the moment, when there is a water shortage, Seychelles relies on several desalination plants found on all three main islands to complement fresh water sources. The Rochon Dam, currently a main reservoir, boasts a storage capacity
