Bamboo guns in Lami are becoming a nuisance and residents have raised concerns that the users are children.

Residents in Lami, especially those living close to Novotel Suva Lami Bay, say they have been subjected to this noise pollution day and night.

A lecturer at the University of the South Pacific, Sudesh Mishra, said for the past seven or eight nights, residents living between Lami Town and Novotel were subjected to deafening sounds from bamboo guns.

“One would think that we lived inside a war zone. It’s impossible for working people and for young children to get any rest because of it,” Mr Mishra said.

“I gather that bamboo guns are illegal in Fiji. We have spoken to the local Police officers many times about this problem. They tell us that they have confiscated and destroyed some of these homemade guns.

“The young perpetrators, however, cut more for the new day and play cat and mouse with the Police at night.”

Mr Mishra said parental authority seemed non-existent in this instance.

Naimawi Street resident Gavidi Cakobau also had similar sentiments.

“New Year’s Day, it was tolerable. But now, this is noise pollution. Those bamboo gun things are dangerous. Children can get hurt,” he said.

Another Lami resident, Shannon Lal, said parents needed to be charged, if their children were using bamboo guns to stop the raucous.

The Mineral Resources Department has highlighted time and again that bamboo guns are dangerous.

There have been cases where children have hurt themselves or set properties on fire when using the bamboo guns.

Police from the Lami Police Station have also done their community work by asking elders in the area to advise the children against the use of bamboo guns. Edited by Ivamere Nataro

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