[Ex-Queen
Victoria Sugar Estate][Compagnie
mauricienne de textile]
Debate No. 26 of 29.07.2008
EX-QUEEN
VICTORIA SUGAR ESTATE – ODOUR NUISANCE
(No. B/1014) Dr. R. Mungur (Second Member for
Flacq and Bon Accueil) asked the Minister of Environment and
National Development Unit whether he is aware of the
unpleasant and noxious odour affecting the inhabitants of the
ex-Queen Victoria Sugar Estate for a number of years,
generated by
the effluence flowing out from the Fuel Sugar Factory, and if
so, will he state the remedial measures that will be taken, if
any.
Reply: Following
complaints received from inhabitants of the ex-Queen Victoria
Sugar Estate regarding odour nuisance and occasional water
pollution, especially during the harvest season, my Ministry
carried out an investigation.
It is found that Fuel Sugar Estate channels all its
effluents into two decantation ponds before discharging them
into River Croignard.
With a view to minimising the odour nuisance,
my Ministry has requested Fuel to use deodorisers and to
install a clarifier to remove suspended solids from the
effluents prior to discharge in the decantation ponds and
eventually into the river by the end of August.
The quality of the effluent being discharged would thus
be improved.
As an additional measure, my Ministry has
just had part of the river flowing through Queen Victoria
cleaned and dredged over a length of 1.2 km at the cost of
Rs200,000 to ease the free flow of water.
The situation will be monitored and any
additional measure deemed necessary will be taken.
Keywords: air pollution, odour, health, nuisance,
water pollution, effluent discharge, dredging
Debate No. 29 of 12.08.2008
(No. B/1135) Mr M. Dowarkasing (Third Member
for Curepipe and Midlands) asked the Minister of Environment
and National Development Unit whether he will state if his
Ministry has been apprised of water pollution being caused by
the Compagnie Mauricienne de Textile Ltée, at Verdun and, if
so, will he give details thereof, indicating the actions
taken, if any.
The Minister of Public Utilities (Dr. A.
Kasenally): Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permissioin, I will
answer this question.
Yes, my Ministry has been informed of a case
where Compagnie Mauricienne de Textile Ltd is discharging
improperly treated effluents in a water course.
The circumstances of the case are thus.
The effluent emanating from CMT in Verdun is discharged
in an irrigation canal which belongs to Mon Desert Alma, Sugar
Estate, St. Pierre. In
the past, water running down that irrigation canal was being
used by CMT with the consent of Mon Desert Alma S. E. to
dilute the treated effluent before being used for irrigation
purposes. Following
the promulgation of the Effluent Discharge Permit Regulations
in April 2004 under the EPA (2002), CMT and Mon Desert Alma S.
E. were requested to apply for an EDP under the provisions of
these Regulations.
Mon Désert Alma Ltd submitted an application
for an EDP on 04 August 2004.
However, no permit was issued since the minimum
standards for EDP were not being met and Mon Désert Alma Ltd
had stopped its operations since 05 December 2007.
On the other hand, on 03 August 2004, CMT had informed
my Ministry that it holds a licence to operate a waste water
carrier for carting away effluent from its dyeing plant in
Verdun to the St. Martin Treatment Plant.
As such, no EDP was issued to the company.
Irrespective of that state of affairs, my
Ministry, through the CWA has been continuously monitoring the
quality of the effluent from the canal and had, after
analysis, drawn the attention of Mon Désert Alma Ltd on
several occasions to the effect that pollution was being
caused by the effluent being discharged.
On 18 December 2007, the CWA informed my
Ministry of the poor quality of the effluent.
Furthermore, the attention of my Ministry was drawn to
the fact that the effluent could adversely be impacting on the
quality of the groundwater in the nearby Telfair Boreholes (1
and 2) as evidenced by an increase in the level of chloride
and conductivity together with a decrease in the PH level.
On 21 December 2007, Mon Désert Alma was
warned and requested to initiate immediate action to remedy
the situation. Accordingly,
on 28 December 2007, Mon Désert Alma Ltd informed this
Ministry that it had ceased operation since 05 December 2007
and it had referred the matter to CMT Ltd in Verdun.
Since then, the situation has been closely monitored by
my Ministry through frequent sampling and testing as well as
through requests to CMT to monitor the effluent quality and
regularly submit the tests results and propose abatement
measures.
After analysis of the results from the
previous monitoring exercises, it was noted that the level of
conductivity and chloride was still going up.
Considering the seriousness of the matter and in order
to ensuring the long term sustainability of the groundwater
quality and the aquifer, my Ministry has issued an Enforcement
Notice on CMT Ltd in Verdun on 08 May 2008 requesting the
latter to implement, amongst others, a series of measures as follows –
-
implement and operate an appropriate treatment plant to abide by
the effluent discharge standards within six months;
-
cart away the effluent generated to Roche Bois Treatment Plant
pending proper operation of its treatment plant, and
-
to ensure that there is a regular monitoring of the effluent
quality and appropriate returns are sent to my Ministry.
After the Enforcement Notice was served, CMT Ltd.
requested for a meeting with representatives of my Ministry.
A meeting, under my chairmanship, was held on 16 July
2008 where representatives of the CWA, the Ministry of
Environment and National Development Unit, the Water Resources
Unit of my Ministry and the CMT, including its Managing
Director, were present to discuss the matter and to identify
options for effectively addressing the pollution problem.
During the course of the meeting it was pointed out that
following the closure of the Mon Désert Alma sugar factory,
the dilution process of the effluents discharged by CMT is no
longer possible. The
lack of water in the irrigation canal which was being used for
milling purposes by the sugar factory results into effluents
being carried into the canal remaining almost undiluted.
Several options were considered and discussed and it has
been agreed that the company would be allowed a reasonable
period of time to apply the necessary corrective measures.
However, in the short term, it was agreed that Mon Désert
Alma Ltd would be approached with a request that it considered
releasing water in the canal with a view to permitting
dilution of the effluents pending the solutions to be proposed
by CMT.
Mr Dowarkasing: Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon.
Minister has just stated that in an Enforcement Notice the CMT
has been given six months to operate a new treatment plant.
Can we know what are the immediate measures he is
taking so that this does not occur again?
Dr. Kasenally: We have discussed with it and
asked it to take the measures which I have already mentioned
and we are going to monitor the situation.
I must say that the other alternative is to close the
factory with loss of about 5,000 jobs.
Mr Dowarkasing: Mr Speaker, Sir, can the hon.
Minister confirm whether certain experts have stated that the
amount of damage and pollution caused to our water table in
that particular region will take 30 years for flushing out
those polluted zones?
Dr. Kasenallly: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have not received such an
information. We are monitoring it and the hon. Member is quite
right if it is allowed to go after a certain level.
That is why we have impressed very severely on the CMT
to take mitigating measures.
Keywords: water
pollution, irrigation canal, effluent, Effluent Discharge
Permit Regulations, EPA, standards, treatment plant,
monitoring, quality, groundwater, borehole, chloride,
enforcement notice
