Community Awaits Better Source Of Drinking Water

More than 1000 people will benefit from the Pump Station and reservoir at Nawaicoba in Nadi.

It is believed that plans for the reservoir had been established since 2017 to cater for about 10 communities in rural areas of Nadi.

The $6.2million project will be completed by this year and will supply the area between Korovuto and Momi to ensure a more sustainable and improved water supply.

Last year, the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) team was progressing with installing pumps and their contractors had laid nearly 200 metres of a 2.9km pipeline.

Meanwhile community members living around the reservoir area raised their concerns after witnessing that the project had been put on hold for the past six months.

These rural communities use wells and boreholes while some fetch water from the Nawaicoba Police Post and from areas near the town.

Ram Kumar, 58, who lives near the reservoir was one of the four families using a well to source their supply of water.

Ram Kumar and his family at their home in Nawaicoba.

“My family can’t use the borehole because it is very hard to clean with the dirt inside. My mother is 80 years old, and my wife is looking after her. I am always working on my farm,” he said.

“It is difficult when there is no clean water, especially for drinking. The water cart can’t supply water to us because of the road condition.

“It has been a long wait for this reservoir to be completed.”

The father of three said his son who works in Nadi town packed empty water bottles every day in his vehicle to fetch water from town.

“That is how we get clean water for drinking.

They are still waiting for this reservoir project to be completed, but now the work has been put on hold.

It is alleged that work had been put on hold because of differences between two contractors.

Questions and emails were sent to the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) and the Minister for Public Works, Transport, and Meteorological Services, Ro Filipe Tuisawau last week, but there have been no response.

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