Mauritius Water Crisis: Minister Bets on Boreholes and Rivers After Protests

Mauritius is in the grip of a serious water crisis, and public frustration boiled over this week with street demonstrations across the island. In the aftermath of those protests, Utilities Minister Patrick Assirvaden has laid out his strategy for boosting water supply — centred on two key sources: boreholes and rivers. **What the minister is proposing** Assirvaden, who oversees the Central Water Authority (CWA) — the state body responsible for water production and distribution in Mauritius — is betting on underground water extraction via boreholes as a short-to-medium-term fix. Boreholes tap into underground aquifers and can be drilled relatively quickly compared to large infrastructure projects. The minister is also looking at increasing abstraction from rivers, which would supplement the dwindling supply from the island's reservoirs. The proposals come at a critical moment. Reservoir levels have fallen sharply in recent months due to below-average rainfall, with some estimates placing combined capacity at well under 40%. The CWA has been implementing rotational water cuts — leaving some areas without supply for extended periods — causing widespread hardship for households and businesses alike. **Why people took to the streets** The demonstrations reflect a growing anger over what many residents see as chronic mismanagement of the island's water infrastructure. Critics point to ageing pipes with high leakage rates, insufficient investment in new water sources, and a lack of urgency from authorities. In some areas, households go without piped water for days at a time, forcing families to rely on private water tanks — an added expense that not everyone can afford. The crisis is not entirely new. Mauritius has long struggled to match water production with demand, particularly during dry spells. But the current shortage is among the most acute in recent years, and patience is running thin. **What this means** For ordinary Mauritians, the minister's announcement signals that relief — if it comes — will not be immediate. Borehole drilling takes time, and expanding river abstraction requires environmental assessments and infrastructure. In the meantime, scheduled water cuts are likely to continue. For the government, the crisis is a political pressure point. With public protests already under way, authorities are under pressure to demonstrate not just a plan, but visible action on the ground. Longer term, water experts and civil society groups have argued that Mauritius needs to address leakage from its pipe network — estimated to lose a significant share of treated water before it ever reaches a tap — and to invest in wastewater recycling, a resource the island currently makes almost no use of despite treating tens of millions of cubic metres annually. Whether boreholes and river extraction can bridge the gap until the seasonal rains return — typically expected within a couple of months — remains to be seen. Source: Le Défi Media