The New Social Living Development Ltd (NSLD) organised, this afternoon in Ebène, a meeting between the different stakeholders and partners of the project relating to the construction of 12,000 housing units across Mauritius. On that same occasion, a presentation of the architectural design of the residential units was made.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo; the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard; the Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram; the Minister of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr Soodesh Callichurn; and the Chief Executive Officer of NSLD, Mr Jairaj Sonoo, were present.
The NSLD has been entrusted the mandate to construct 12,000 housing units all over the country. The 12,000 units have been distributed over eight zones each of 1,500 housing units in various identified regions for each zone. As at date, 50 confirmed sites have been identified.
In his address, the Deputy Prime Minister recalled that this mega project, to be completed by 2024, aims to provide an appealing and affordable household for low and middle-income families; improve standard of living of residents; and enhance community living while promoting social integration with the neighborhood.
He highlighted that since 2019, the National Housing Development Company Ltd has already constructed more than 2,000 residential units across the country adding that 2,000 additional units will soon be delivered.
Speaking about the construction of the 12,000 residential units, Mr Obeegadoo observed that significant challenges had to be dealt with, namely acquisition of some 500 arpents of land; finance; public infrastructure comprising on site and off site works; hike in prices of construction materials; and sustainable energy production. He indicated that geotechnical studies are underway and that the first tender for the construction of the housing units on 39 sites will be launched by end of August 2022. He rejoiced that all preparatory works have been completed and announced that Coromandel will be the first site where works will start as from 21 July 2022.
As for Minister Hurreeram, he recalled that Government’s vision is to enhance the quality of life of its citizens by providing them with a decent dwelling. He said that this initiative required significant efforts as regards the construction of roads and drains, ensuring that the land acquired is not flood-prone, and provision of electricity and water, amongst others.
The CEO of NSLD, Mr Jairaj Sonoo, made an overview of the housing units to be constructed. He underlined that these units will be affordable and built in an eco-friendly environment. The objectives, he indicated, are to ensure a better management of housing estates, and create a better quality of life for the residents.
The project
The NSLD is proposing three types of housing units based on a Carpet Area of 60, 65 and 75 square metre. The aim is to maximise the use of available lands to provide the optimum number of residential units per site while creating appealing houses for the community. In general, the buildings have been designed either on a ground plus three or up to ground plus six configurations except where there are height limitations.
As at date, Project Management Consultancy in Construction teams (PMCC) have been appointed for all eight zones. The concept design and 95% of master planning have been completed while 50 sites have been confirmed around the country and the number of housing units has been fixed. The PMCC teams have also started preparing bid documents.
The Green concept has also been incorporated in the design of the housing units. Green practices to be adopted include: maximisation of natural ventilation instead of mechanical ventilation; optimisation of natural lighting in common areas such as lobby and common areas for energy reduction; use of solar lighting for yards and amenities’ areas; reduction of carbon emission through implementation of bicycle tracks; enhancement of green spaces for gardening and leisure; maximisation of saving on-site existing trees and promotion of relocation on site to fit the master site planning; minimisation and rationalisation of building materials; and segregation bin areas for waste disposal.
It is proposed that by end of August 2022, 28 bids will be launched and 9,620 units will be constructed over 39 sites. By end of September 2022, five bids will be launched and 1,844 units will be constructed over seven sites while three bids will be launched and 536 units constructed over four sites by end of October 2022.
