In the Seychelles, the populations continue to pay a high price for the health crisis caused by the Covid-19. After the Chinese company Sinohydro postponed the commissioning of the Gogue dam to a later date (initially planned for June 2020), it is now the turn of Land Waste Management Agency (LWMA) to delay its sanitation project on Perseverance. The artificial island is located 20 km from the Seychelles capital Victoria.

In principle, the second phase of LWMAs waste sorting and collection project was due to start in March 2021, but the association will not be able to meet its schedule. The second phase of the project consists of going back to the inhabitants of Persvrance with the results of surveys carried out to explain to them how collection will be carried out in the future. At present, we are unable to achieve our objectives due to the restrictive measures put in place to counter the spread of Covid-19, explains Rahul Mangroo, LWMAs Deputy Managing Director.

As part of LWMAs sanitation project, 900 households on the island of Perseverance will be provided with 110 litre bins. Rubbish bins will be used for the collection of household waste. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste and cans will be sold to the population in buy-back centres set up by LWMA. Instead of daily waste collection, there will be a calendar where we will indicate the days of passage for each type of waste, says Rahul Mangroo, LWMAs Deputy Managing Director. This waste will then be recycled, reducing pollution on Perseverance, one of the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago. LWMAs project will promote the development of the circular economy throughout the Eastern African country.

A third phase of the sanitation project is planned. It will analyse the waste sorting and collection process that has been put in place and make improvements where necessary. We will then report back to the Seychelles government on the effectiveness of our approach, says Rahul Mangroo, LWMAs Deputy Managing Director.

Ins Magoum

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SEYCHELLES: Covid-19 puts a damper on waste management on the island of Perseverance - AFRIK 21