Drought: new water restrictions.
Faced with a worrying drought situation, the Mauritian government has announced strict measures to regulate water use. At a Cabinet meeting on Friday 14 February 2025, it was decided to promulgate the Central Water Authority (Dry Season) Regulations 2025, effective from 17 February 2025.
These regulations are aimed at preventing water wastage in view of the critical state of the country’s reservoirs. Significant restrictions have been placed on the use of water from the CWA network or any other watercourse.
It is now forbidden to use water for activities deemed ‘non-essential’, such as washing vehicles, cleaning pavements or buildings, watering gardens or lawns, and filling swimming pools with a hose, sprinkler or pressure washer, without a valid excuse.
What’s more, a Water Resources Monitoring Committee will determine and review the frequency of irrigation for vegetables and crops, based on water availability, so that decisions can be made quickly and flexibly. Sugarcane irrigation remains suspended.
Violators of the new regulations face severe penalties. Domestic consumers risk a fine of up to 50,000 rupees and a 2-year prison sentence. In other cases, the fine can be as high as 200,000 rupees, with the same prison sentence.
