Plea For Landfill Fire Solution

Residents of Vunato, Lautoka are pleading for swift action to address the burning Vunato Landfill. It is causing smoke to hover on the settlement and Sugar City.

Jitko Sigavitu , 71,said the impact of smoke from the landfill site fires worsened with residents having to breathe in the dust created when garbage trucks travelled at speed on their way to dump rubbish at the landfill.

“Sometimes the smoke thickness causes visibility problems. It even comes into our homes, and we have young children. We have constantly complained because these past few weeks we have just been shutting our windows and doors to stop the smoke from coming in, we did not even receive any masks,” he said.

Joseph Moi, 60, had to shut his windows and doors on Tuesday because he began to experience breathing problems.

“The waste that’s burning include all sorts of chemicals that releases poison into the air through this smoke which the elderly and children breathe,” he said.

Jitko Sigavitu. Photo: Salote Qalubau

Feedback: salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj