Rehabilitation work underway on cyclone-hit Farquhar |14 October 2016

The Islands Development Company (IDC) has said rehabilitation work on Farquhar island following the devastating effects of cyclone Fantala in April this year, is well underway where construction teams from the company itself are working tirelessly to rebuild the damaged infrastructure on the main land.

This was revealed by the chief executive of IDC, Glenny Savy, in a press interview yesterday at the company’s boardroom at the New Port.

Reconstruction work is being undertaken and financed by IDC itself from its own revenue and revenue gained from insurance claims.

Regarding the environment, Mr Savy said IDC is negotiating with the World Bank on a loan and with the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) on how best to re-vegetate the island.

It is estimated that some R20 million will be needed to rehabilitate the environment.

Infrastructure on the main land have been reinforced so as to withstand a powerful cyclone if it ever hits the island again in the future.

Mr Savy said they have already cleaned up the area where the debris have been sorted out and stacked neatly away.

They have assessed which buildings can be repaired and pulled down those which are beyond repair.

Building materials are already on Farquhar where reconstruction of infrastructure has already began.

“The first thing we constructed was a new generator room and a new desalination plant. These two infrastructure which were completely destroyed by the cyclone are the most important. These buildings will be completed in about ten months and they have been built to withstand a cyclone of about 300km per hour. New equipment for the two new buildings are already there,” he said, adding the company will continue using the old equipment in the meantime.

He also said new water tanks were reconstructed for storage in case any problem happens with the desalination plant.

The second phase of construction, said Mr Savy, is on workers’ houses because all workers currently on the island, apart from the management team and its key people, are construction workers totalling about 40. Among the six workers’ housing they have started to work on, one is completed.

“We have constructed a concrete roof, reinforced the concrete structure and after my visit to the island, we believe that the new structures can withstand quite a significant cyclone,” said Mr Savy, adding much comfort has been added to the workers’ houses like air conditioning, solar water heaters and a larger veranda. He expects some workers could be back on the island in two months’ time.

Regarding the guesthouse on the island, Mr Savy said it has been completely destroyed. He added the company will start using their repaired or improved buildings by the end of the month.

“If all goes according to plan, by October /November next year all infrastructure on the island would be completed and they are as modern as those on Desroches, Alphonse or Astove,” said Mr Savy while expressing satisfaction with progress made so far in that area.

In terms of vegetation, Mr Savy said the ground is being prepared for planting and a nursery will be put in place to prepare plants that are to be replanted.

“Re-planting will not necessarily start until the re-vegetation management plan which we have asked Unep to help us with is in place,” sad Mr Savy.

He also noted a conservation programme will be in place on Farquhar where preserved areas will be demarcated as well as ‘manageable areas’ where one can use but in a sustainable way.

Speaking on the finance side of things, Mr Savy said the revenue gained from the IDC insurance claim which amounts to about R10 million is not enough as the company is not only building new infrastructure but also modernising them. IDC is are also negotiating a loan with the World Bank for the environment rehabilitation at a very low interest rate as the Seychelles has a facility with the bank for environment at a long-term and very low interest rate.

It is worth noting that the World Bank made a damage assessment for the island at R60 million.

In total, Mr Savy said, the environment project on the island will cost about R20 million and infrastructure between R12-15 million.

The accompanying photos show reconstruction work underway on some infrastructure.