Sitting of tuesday 27th July 2010

(No. 1B/343)

Dr. R. Sorefan (Fourth Member for La Caverne & Phoenix) asked the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities whether he is aware that frequent

breakdowns occur on the lighting system along the highway from Curepipe to Plaisance and, if

so, will he state the remedial measures that will be taken.

The Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands (Mr H. Aimée): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with your permission I shall reply to this question. I wish to inform the House that the Municipal Council of Curepipe is responsible for the installation, maintenance and operation of the street lighting system from Wooton Round About to Midlands area. The lighting system along the highway from Midlands up to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport is taken care of by the Grand Port-Savanne District Council.

I am informed by the Municipal Council of Curepipe that the black out which occurred in early July at Wooton Round About was due to 33 defective lamps. 14 defective lamps have already been replaced whereas the remaining 19 will be replaced by early next week.

I am informed by the Grand Port-Savanne District Council that there was a black out between Midlands and Jawaharlall Nehru Hospital on 12 July 2010 and remedial action was taken on 15 July 2010 to address this problem. I am further informed that 32 defective lamps out of the 66 defective lamps detected in the course on inspections carried out by officers of the Council, have been replaced so far and the remaining 34 will be replaced by next week.

Dr. Sorefan: One supplementary question, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, concerning this issue of lamps going to the Airport lasting for some weeks and every now and then we see black out going there. It is going to be very dangerous and I think personally…

The Deputy Speaker: Hon. Dr. Sorefan put your question directly!

Dr. Sorefan: Will the hon. Minister see with the District of Grand Port/ Savanne that they do their job properly and that this does not happen every now and then twice or three times in a week?

Mr Aimée: Oui, M. le président et je dois ajouter que cela va se faire tout de suite cette semaine mais les employés du District Council n’ont pas la compétence voulue pour stopper le timer. Ils n’ont pas le know-how d’électricité. Ils sont là simplement pour changer les ampoules…

(Interruptions)

Voilà pourquoi il y a ce laps de temps quand il y a la défection et la réparation.

Mr Guimbeau: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was driving through this highway last night and it was a total black out. I would like to refer to PQ No. B/262 in September 2005, the then hon. Minister stated that frequent breakdown do occur due to earth leakage sensitive circuit breaker. In July 2007, in another PQ No. B/777, the then hon. Minister stated that breakdown and black out were due to the tripping of a main solar switch, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. Five years later, we still have breakdowns, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. So, we would like to know from the hon. Minister what concrete action he is going to take to avoid any accident?

Mr Aimée: M. le président, les lampes électriques, ça saute assez souvent surtout…

(Interruptions)

Ce que je dois dire ici, c’est qu’il se peut que, de temps en temps, il y ait des breakdowns.

Mais les autorités locales ne sont pas directement responsables des lampes. Nous changeons seulement le bulb, alors que nous avons, d’après les documents que j’ai devant moi, des arrangements avec le CEB.

(Interruptions)

The Deputy Speaker: Please address the Chair!

Mr Aimée: Ce ne sont pas les employés des autorités locales qui vont changer une ligne, qui vont s’occuper du timer et qui vont changer quelque chose qui est défectueux. Ce sont seulement les lampes, that is, the bulbs only.

Mr Bhagwan : Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this question has been raised here on several occasions, people have died, not only at La Vigie, but also in the North, on the main highway.

Can the hon. Minister state or, at least, inquire, because the Local Authorities do not have the know-how, they are not equipped, they do not have funds to look after the lighting on the highway and it is high time to have a specialised unit or contract out in the public interest to save lives of people?

Mr Aimée: Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

The Deputy Speaker: I will allow one last question from hon. Guimbeau!

Mr Guimbeau: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we would like to know one and for all, who is the responsible party for maintenance? Is it the Energy Service Division, A. J. Maurel Construction who got the contract, the Grand Port District Council or the Central Electricity Board and now we hear that it is from the Municipality of Curepipe? We would like to know, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, who is the responsible party to get this problem fixed?

Mr Aimée: According to five years, Mr Deputy Speaker, there is a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Central Electricity Board and the Local Authorities in year 2007. The salient points of arrangement are as follows -

“As the provider of electricity for the street lighting applications, CEB shall be responsible for the following, as the case may be.

Connecting and disconnecting the supplies leads to street lamps and decorative garlands where the leads are connected to CEB conductors;”

The Deputy Speaker: I think that this is clear enough, we move to the next question

please. Hon. Dr. Sorefan!