Government tackles issues in Layou Valley

Member of Parliament (MP) for the St Joseph constituency Kelver Darroux has announced that steps are being taken to revive the economic activity in the Layou Valley, after the Matthieu Dam disaster and the resulting reduction in production from that region.

The dam which formed the ‘Miracle Lake’ broke in late July flooding the entire Layou Valley, destroying the Glo Chaud Bridge and dumping huge quantities of sand all across the valley floor and riverbed.

The MP has indicated that the issues facing residents or Layou and others who use the area for economic purposes are being attacked on various fronts.

Tourism

With the opening of the tourist season close at hand and understanding the high frequency of visits to the Layou River by  tourists, the current state of the area poses a significant threat to the tourism product of that particular area. Darroux sought to address concerns about the state of the river and the wider area with regards to tourism and those who would be affected and indicated that the Government has plans of an intervention.

“We are awaiting a report from the Office of Disaster Management to advise us as to what plans we should take and how we should proceed as it relates to the tourism aspect for the area. We are aware that several persons use the area for tourism facilities and due to the current situation with the river we have to look at other options in the not too distant future because we are aware that the tourism season will be open sometime next month. We are also in the process of providing a stipend for the tour guides because we know that they will be without employment for some time,” he stated.

Farmers

In a DNO article dated September 12, 2011 and titled ‘Layou Valley Farmers Appeal for Assistance’, Reece Charles had pointed out that he and other farmers from the area faced great difficulties in getting to and from their farms as well as transporting their harvest since the bridge was destroyed. Charles had asked for the Government to take action in assisting them.

When asked about the Government’s response to the plight of the farmers, Darroux said that he had met with the farmers and listen to them voice their concerns about the current situation that they have been forced into.

“We’ve identified a contractor to undertake works on the [Glo Chaud] Bridge and the Ministry of Public Works is working speedily to ensure that the bridge can be returned so that farmers who use it can have that access back,” He said.

The farmers have also been offered a stipend of $500 monthly to alleviate some of the costs they now incur.

Fishermen

The Government has promised assistance to the fishermen of the area that will sum over $250,000 as they seek to repair boats, replace engines and recover from this tragedy. Darroux outlined some of the ways in which the help will be given.

He said, “We have taken the fishermen of Layou into consideration and as a government we have responded in a very practical way and we will be providing the fishermen with 60 percent relief efforts from their losses. I met with the fishermen on Monday and one of the issues that came up was the removal of the sand from the mouth of the river so that the fishermen can have access to it as a landing site for their boats. As it stands now the fishermen can no longer bring their boats up to that area, so the Ministry of Public Works will be sending [some] heavy equipment operators to move the sand so the fishermen can have access.”

Darroux also stated that efforts were made to convince the more than 40 fishermen in the area to form a cooperative and to see fishing as a business, stressing that there are greater benefits in operating that way.

Other Works

The intent for the bridge which was destroyed is to repair it as soon as possible to allow vehicular traffic flow and in the medium-term an expansion project that will see the bridge offer bi-directional vehicular traffic flow, according to Darroux. The contractor for the bridge works is Offshore Marine.

The environmental and ecological damage has also been assessed and a report from the Environmental Health Department, which considered an area from Rodney’s Rock all the way back to Mero, has indicated that the waters are safe.