Finance and Development Magazine: Keynes for Our Times

Sixty families in Grand-Port district face eviction from asbestos-containing homes with no alternative housing

Sixty families residing in former CHA/EDC homes in the Grand-Port district have received a 15-day eviction notice from the district council due to asbestos contamination, with no alternative housing offered. Lalit, a political organization, has alerted the Minister of Housing, Shakeel Mohamed, urging him to halt the evictions until a proper plan is in place. This comes after Minister Mohamed stated a month prior in the National Assembly that the government would proceed with asbestos removal from these homes, a declaration welcomed by affected families. However, the recent eviction notices, citing a dangerous condition based on an engineer's survey, caught residents by surprise. The notices also warned that non-compliance could lead to the demolition of their homes. Rajni Lallah of Lalit met with the vice-president of the Grand-Port district council, Ritesh Gopy, who indicated the council acted on directives from the Ministry of Local Government. Lalit has since written to Minister Mohamed, who chairs the inter-ministerial committee on asbestos housing replacement, requesting that the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Local Government cease issuing eviction notices. Lalit also called for formal public assurances that these notices would be canceled and that authorities would collaborate with residents to rehouse them or replace their homes with safe alternatives. The organization emphasizes the urgency of clarifying the si