CWA Applies Harsher Cuts, After Downpour

Plus you will be fined if you are caught washing your car. You may not even collect 200 and go to jail directly for up to two years as per section 49a of the CWA act. Ain't that so funny after all the rain we've received the past few days? With some regions being practically flooded?

CWA will carry on with the patchwork: Midlands dam will now be connected to Mare-aux-Vacoas. That's after linking Mare Longue to the island's largest reservoir. So, the minister's prayers haven't worked. Neither has the recent water hike. They also seem to be telling us that there is water in the Midlands area. How come then Phase 2 of the reservoir there did not get done? Is it the same reason why policemen have only one used shirt to wear?

This critical problem is here to stay until those responsible of the dossier quit sitting on their hands. Or are fired and fined.

2011: The Year in Review (Q2)

April: Bean-counting claims new victim: free distribution of laptops. 10 ways to solve water problems proposed. ECB hikes rates and hints more on the way while battling with a sovereign-debt crisis. Phase 2 of the Midlands Dam would have held more water than currently in Mare aux Vacoas. 82% of poll not happy with Government.

May: Policy blunders responsible for robust poverty. DSK taken off plane to face attempted rape charges. Presidential pause ruins Obama toast. Jaysen reaches roof of the world. World is playing football, Barca is playing something else.

June: Bhagwan asking whether contract of Financial Secretary should not be terminated. Mansoor says water problems date back before his arrival 5 years ago. World's longest passenger plane arrives in Paris. Bill Clinton has 14 ideas to cut US unemployment. Bad Economics made Mauritius a sad place. Deerpalsing wants planning unit under PMO. More Mauritians visit Blogger than any newspaper.

Read the review for Q1, Q3, Q4.

Who Says The Next Rainy Season Gonna Be Better?

Nobody. In fact, if global warming has modified rain patterns it would be silly to stay put and expect Mare-aux-Vacoas to fill up with the same regularity as it used to. So that we may be better off building smaller reservoirs in the places where rainfall has been more generous in the recent past. And give phase two of the Midlands dam the go-ahead. In other words we need a good plan. The snag is that no ministry has been taking care of planning for a while now. This hasn't changed either with the latest permutation in the cabinet.

Despair not. We still have a direct line to God.

More Water Than Mare aux Vacoas

That's how much of the precious liquid Phase 2 of the Midlands Dam would have been holding these days if it had been built during Mamou (Chacha being already taken) Ramgoolam's second mandate.

How do I arrive at this? Simple. Given that Midlands Dam was 83.2% full on April 5th, it's not too much of a stretch to assume that its Phase 2 would have clipped a similar water level. At a capacity of 17 million m3 that translates to 14.1 million m3 or 13% more than the water currently in our 125-year old Mare aux Vacoas.

Why was Phase 2 not built? Guess that's what happens when you entrust critical economic positions to a toxic bean-counting duet.