The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius on Monday limited water usage in the capital Port Louis to not more than six hours a day, media reports said, adding that other areas of the island of 1.2 million people will have access to water for only one hour each day.
Faced with the worst drought in 95 years, water reserves on the central plateau, the island’s wettest region, have reportedly dipped to 56 percent of normal levels, forcing officials to step up water production at four new wells in northern Mauritius.
The reports added that agriculture officials are worried that because of the drought, the worst since 1904, the island would not be able to meet its export quotas of sugar to European and American markets, which would lead to a loss of US $160 million from last year’s revenue.
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