By Sue-Ann Wayow
TO better assist in preserving infrastructure, the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is considering installing specialised pipelines in areas prone to landslips.
Chairman of WASA Ravindra Nanga revealed this on Wednesday at a Joint Select Committee (JSC) meeting.
The pipes WASA is seeking to have are High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) thermoplastic pipes.
Nanga said, “As a mitigating factor, we are currently exploring the use of HDPE pipes in those areas that are prone to land slippages. The benefits of HDPE pipes would be that they are a bit more flexible and they can take a certain amount of movement.”
“We are hoping with that technology, we would have a reduction, even when there are land slippages, a reduction in the damage,” he said.
WASA to provide further information to JSC
Chairman of the JSC with emphasis on Land and Physical Infrastructure and Independent Senator Deoroop Teemal asked WASA to provide in writing the number of litigation cases arising out of issues with landslip and over the last five years, the amount of monies paid to persons by WASA as a result of litigation cases.
He also asked that WASA supply to the JSC, a written procedure on how litigation cases are dealt with by the state-owned company that has a claims committee set up to look at all claims, based on Nanga’s verbal responses.
Nanga told the JSC, “The moment we get notice of an incident, and this is before a claim comes in, if there is for example some form of property damage, it would be sent to the Operations Department to undertake an investigation so we should have a report in terms of what occurred.
“Once a pre-action protocol letter comes in, it is normally written to myself as Chairman, to the CEO or to the Corporate Secretary as general council and once that letter comes in, it would go to the legal department for further investigation to develop a position in reflect of WASA. If we view that it is a matter that should be defended, we would retain external council. If we review that the mater should be settled, then we will attempt to settle it in-house.”
Regarding the matters that go directly to the court without the issuance of a pre-action protocol letter, attorneys will be retained to represent the Authority and also take steps to settle the matter he said.
Nanga said, “If there is need for intervention for guidance from the board, those matters will be referred to the Claims Review Committee which is headed by a Commissioner who is also an attorney-at-law.”
That committee would then give their perspective and recommendations.
He also said there would be some matters in which WASA would be at risk in which they have no control over and others where insurance would be available.
Nanga said, “Where there is a policy of insurance to cover the place of the loss, the insurance company would take over conduct of that matter of course with our assistance.”
Since the board came into place in 2020, measures were put in place to manage WASA’s litigation portfolio he said.
Nanga also said that not all landslides were because of a problem with WASA’s infrastructure hence the suggestion of the HDPE pipes.
