Cluny Reservoir: Rs 74 Million Down the Drain

During a session in Parliament, Patrick Assirvaden responded to a query from Ashley Ramdass regarding the state of the Cluny Reservoir and the ongoing developments at the New France site. The Minister has declared that the Cluny Reservoir must be demolished due to severe structural issues.

Mr. Assirvaden revealed that the Central Water Authority (CWA) had recently informed him that a contract for the New France Reservoir was awarded to Pacific Builders for a sum of Rs 48 million.

Construction commenced on 6th September 2023, with the reservoir set to be operational by September 2024.

Turning his attention to the troubled Cluny project, the minister explained that the CWA had initiated bids back in January 2021 for the design and construction of a 3,000 cubic meter reservoir at Cluny and a reinforced 2,000 cubic meter reservoir at Eau-Bleue.

A contract was awarded to Sotravic for Rs 74 million, with work beginning in October 2021.

Initially, the project was expected to be completed by October 2022, but delays pushed the timeline to April and then June 2023.

After a pressure test on 6th March 2023 revealed defects, Sotravic was called upon to rectify the issues.

Although the reservoir was inaugurated on 17th August 2023 and finally handed over on 6th September 2023, an inspection in July 2024 uncovered visible repairs on the vertical walls, necessitating further intervention.

During a site visit on 16th January 2025, accompanied by ministry officials and CWA representatives, the minister discovered multiple leaks across the structure.

This prompted him to demand a full investigation into the fiasco. Astonishingly, he stated that the reservoir must be torn down, citing over 25 cracks as the reason for this drastic measure.

Despite the hefty investment of Rs 74 million, the reservoir has become unusable at a time when the nation is grappling with drought.

Clearly distressed, Mr. Assirvaden lamented the situation, emphasizing the need for accountability as an investigation continues to uncover who will bear responsibility for this costly setback.

Source: l’Express