The construction of a religious platform in the botanical garden of Curepipe is attracting a lot of controversies. The citizens of the City of Light want this project to be stopped immediately.
It’s been a month since the works started in the botanical garden of Curepipe. A sign indicates the construction of a religious platform. If for the time, being it is not yet known who authorized this project, either the city hall of Curepipe or the Ministry of the Environment, a national movement has been created to stop this construction: “I live not far from the garden. One day, during a walk, I saw the construction in progress on a plot of the garden. With other friends, we have expressed our opposition to this project by alerting the authorities,” explains Sarjoo Gowressunkur.
According to Sarjoo, this construction will disfigure the garden: “You have to understand that the garden has always been used for religious rituals. It has never bothered anyone as long as there has never been a permanent structure there. This project comes to disfigure this beautiful garden.”
The latter explains that the authorities should have embellished the place instead: “Instead of this platform, the authorities could have restored two bridges of the garden which are in ruins. They could also have embellished the garden by planting other trees. The construction of a religious platform has no reason to be in this garden.”
Note that a petition is underway against this project. More than 5,000 people have signed so far.
As a result of the questions asked, the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change responded with the following statement:
“Following a request from the Curepipe City Council, work has been undertaken at the Curepipe Botanical Garden to secure and consolidate an existing platform on the bank of the river of the garden.
The work will be completed in February 2023.
The Ministry wishes to specify that no trees were cut down during the work and that the acclimatization area for exotic and endemic plants will not be threatened in any way. It goes without saying that the historical and cultural value of the garden will also be preserved.
For many years, the garden has hosted various religious processions, without threatening the historical, environmental and ecological character of the place.
At the request of the city council of Curepipe, it has been agreed that city dwellers, visitors and nature lovers will also be able to use the space for yoga, meditation and other physical exercises.
