The newly appointed Minister for Waterways, Mahendra Reddy, began his new year by visiting all irrigation, drainage, floodgate schemes in Vanua Levu yesterday.

This four-day visit is his first to the North in his capacity as the minister for waterways.

After visiting Shiu Prasad’s farm at Naqere in Labasa, Mr Reddy said he began his tour to the North after completing visits to all irrigation schemes, drainage schemes and floodgates in Viti Levu.

“During such visits I am also dealing with specific problems raised by farmers and residents such as damaged floodgates, blocked drains, some areas need drain and many related issues,” Mr Reddy said.

“Over the last two weeks we have done detailed scoping work for all repair works that is needed at our flood gates, de-silting work required for drainage scheme and also drainage work at water log sites.

“Now we are expecting quotations to be in by next week Thursday.

“The scoping work has been done.

“The contractors are picking up the details of scoping that our technical staff has done and based on that they will also do a site visit.

“They will provide quotations to our respective offices,” Mr Reddy said.

“On this Friday the quotation boxes will be opened and we want to award contractors to undertake these repair works.

“In two to three weeks time all damaged floodgates, all irrigation requiring de-silting works, drainage scheme which needs to be cleaned will be done.

“What I mean is that we are expecting all these work to be completed in three weeks time.”

Mr Reddy will return to Suva this Sunday.

Today he will be in Bua.

Meanwhile, Mr Prasad, 70, requested Mr Reddy for the installation of a floodgate in his 11-acre land of sugarcane because the water from the nearby mangrove swamp was damaging his crops.

Mr Reddy assured him that he would look into his request because he had to make sure that the ecosystem was not damaged.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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