It is only after the completion of the scheme that water will be available to meet
the needs. But what year are we talking about?
5.4 Planning the Activities
A tentative time schedule has been shown in Table 5.2 on the basis of personal
experience in Mauritius and Rodrigues. It is very edifying. If we want to secure
water in the future, we need to know something about our future requirements.
Table 5.2 lists down the activities detailed in para. 5.3 and gives estimates of
minimum and usual maximum time taken for the activity. Of course, the real
maximum time might be much more. Adding all the minimum durations (barring
concurrent activities) gives the minimum finish time. A similar exercise with the
usual durations will give the normal finish time. Thus, the minimum finish time
means that 10 years will pass before users are likely to benefit from a major water
project, while 17 years may be required with normal durations. A longer period is,
probably, more realistic, say 20 years, as there is no dearth of persons who will
procrastinate before taking decisions, or through the usual bureaucratic process. As
an example, the pre-feasibility of Bagatelle dam (Mauritius) was carried out in 1991,
construction started in 2012 and was completed by 2017. At the time of writing, in
September 2019, the associated water treatment has just been completed. So, this
Table 5.2 Schedule of activities required to ensure timely infrastructure capacity
Activities
Duration Concurrent
Earliest finish
time
Normal
finish time
Years
Yes/No
Year
Year
Determine the infrastructure service
requirements
1–2
Y
1
2
Determine existing infrastructure
capacity/resources
1–2
Y
1
2
Preliminary matching of resources and
requirements
1–2
Y
1
2
Formulate possible schemes
1–2
N
2
4
Estimate costs of schemes
1
Y
2
4
Formulate draft master plan
1
N
3
5
Marketing the master plan for
approval, in principle
1
N
4
6
Feasibility studies for different project
alternatives
1–2
N
5
8
Seek funds for construction
2–5
N
7
1 3
Select final project alternative
1
Y
7
13
Implementation of final project
alternative
3–4
N
10
17
142
5 The Long Term Plan for Infrastructure
the needs. But what year are we talking about?
5.4 Planning the Activities
A tentative time schedule has been shown in Table 5.2 on the basis of personal
experience in Mauritius and Rodrigues. It is very edifying. If we want to secure
water in the future, we need to know something about our future requirements.
Table 5.2 lists down the activities detailed in para. 5.3 and gives estimates of
minimum and usual maximum time taken for the activity. Of course, the real
maximum time might be much more. Adding all the minimum durations (barring
concurrent activities) gives the minimum finish time. A similar exercise with the
usual durations will give the normal finish time. Thus, the minimum finish time
means that 10 years will pass before users are likely to benefit from a major water
project, while 17 years may be required with normal durations. A longer period is,
probably, more realistic, say 20 years, as there is no dearth of persons who will
procrastinate before taking decisions, or through the usual bureaucratic process. As
an example, the pre-feasibility of Bagatelle dam (Mauritius) was carried out in 1991,
construction started in 2012 and was completed by 2017. At the time of writing, in
September 2019, the associated water treatment has just been completed. So, this
Table 5.2 Schedule of activities required to ensure timely infrastructure capacity
Activities
Duration Concurrent
Earliest finish
time
Normal
finish time
Years
Yes/No
Year
Year
Determine the infrastructure service
requirements
1–2
Y
1
2
Determine existing infrastructure
capacity/resources
1–2
Y
1
2
Preliminary matching of resources and
requirements
1–2
Y
1
2
Formulate possible schemes
1–2
N
2
4
Estimate costs of schemes
1
Y
2
4
Formulate draft master plan
1
N
3
5
Marketing the master plan for
approval, in principle
1
N
4
6
Feasibility studies for different project
alternatives
1–2
N
5
8
Seek funds for construction
2–5
N
7
1 3
Select final project alternative
1
Y
7
13
Implementation of final project
alternative
3–4
N
10
17
142
5 The Long Term Plan for Infrastructure