Damaged Crossing In Labasa Leave Residents Stuck and Worried

Lomaloma residents in Labasa are worried about the ongoing struggle faced after the recent downpour damaged their road and crossing.

Residents, Dalip Chand, 64, said last Saturday the culvert was washed away making it difficult for vehicles to access to and from the resident.

“Parents have to walk (quite a distance) then help their children cross over (what’s left of the crossing) which can fall off anytime,” Mr Chand said.

“During the rainy weather it’s very slippery and many children haven’t gone back to school because parents don’t want to take the risk.”

He claims that he called the Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh to request him to look into this community access road but he was unavailable since he was in China.

In December 2022, repair works was carried out on the same crossing which is understood to have been paid by the Fiji Sugar Corporation.

“Most of the residents survive on their sugarcane farms,” he said.

“We’re not sure what will happen when the sugarcane crushing starts and we still have this issue.”

He is pleading with the Government to look into their plight.

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Macuata Advisory Councillor chairperson Jitendra Kumar confirmed that he has received this report from Mr Chand and informed the Provincial Administrator of Macuata, Labasa District Officer and FRA about it.

“There are many roads and crossings in Vanua Levu affected by the recent rain but some communities have already managed to fix it by themselves,” Mr Kumar said.

“I sympathise with the students and elderly.”

Emails and calls to Commissioner Northern Uraia Rainima was unsuccessful when this edition went to press.

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