Drugs But No Water: Castel Scout Leader's Cry of Frustration

A scout leader from the Castel district has gone public with a stinging rebuke of Mauritius's priorities, summing up his community's plight in six blunt Creole words: *"Ladrog ena, delo pena"* — drugs there are, water there is none. Farhaan Koodooruth, a representative of the Castel Scouts — a youth organisation operating in the Castel area of central Mauritius — voiced his anger at what he describes as a glaring contradiction: while drug trafficking continues openly in his neighbourhood, residents are left without a reliable supply of drinking water. **A Community Left Behind** Koodooruth's outburst reflects a frustration that is far from isolated. Across Mauritius, communities have been grappling with severe water shortages driven by a combination of ageing infrastructure, low reservoir levels, and what many residents say is poor crisis management by the Central Water Authority (CWA) — the government body responsible for water supply and distribution across the island. For families in the Castel area, the situation is particularly acute. Parents struggle to maintain basic hygiene for children, and community activities — including scout meetings and events — are disrupted by the absence of running water. At the same time, Koodooruth says drug-related activity in the area goes largely unchecked, leaving residents feeling doubly abandoned by the state: unprotected and underserved. **Youth Work in a Difficult Environment** The Scouts movement in Mauritius plays a meaningful role in youth development, especially in working-class and semi-urban communities. Leaders like Koodooruth often volunteer their time to provide structure, discipline, and positive role models for young people in areas where social pressures — including exposure to drugs — are significant. His public statement is therefore not just a complaint about taps running dry. It is a broader indictment of what he sees as state neglect of vulnerable communities, where those doing the hard work of youth development are left without the most basic amenities. **What This Means** Koodooruth's comments add a human and community voice to what has become a national crisis. Mauritius's water shortage is not equally distributed — lower-income and semi-urban areas tend to bear the brunt of rationing schedules and supply cuts, while better-connected districts fare comparatively better. For policymakers, the message from Castel is clear: the water crisis is not just an engineering problem. It is a social justice issue, and communities already facing high drug exposure and limited public services feel they are being asked to cope with yet another burden alone. The CWA has not yet responded publicly to Koodooruth's remarks. Mauritius's reservoir levels remain critically low, with the island still weeks away from the main rainy season. Source: Le Défi Media