Toge villagers and youths clear roads to Ba Town after flood

Community self-help took shape yesterday after Tropical Cyclone (TC) Urmil, as the access route to Toge and Balevuto Village was restored.

Youths of Toge did not wait for state assistance, clearing debris at the Toge/Balevuto Irish crossing after flash floods damaged part of the road.

The floods were caused by heavy rain and TC Urmil last week, affecting the Western Division and most parts of Fiji.

The clean-up was led by Police Corporal Etuate Nasova and Reverend Paula Tuivuya.

Youths of Toge clear debris and pile rocks to repair the road damaged by flooding.

Team leader Robert Lui said the crossing is an important link connecting the communities to the rest of Ba, including the town area.

“This is not the first time this has happened, but the damage is not major,” he added. “We removed trees that were stuck over the Irish crossing, and the part of the road that was washed away needed to be refilled.”

He said that since Sunday, villagers could not travel to Ba Town due to the damaged road and blocked crossing.

Divisional planning officer (DPO) West, Ellimi Rokoduru, said clean-up efforts in various communities began once the floodwaters receded.

“The Fiji Roads Authority continues road clearings, while agencies such as Social Welfare and Social Protection conduct initial damage assessments,” he said.

“We expect to collect all information by the end of yesterday,” he added.

He said accessibility still remains a challenge in some areas.

“We do not yet know the full extent of infrastructure damage. Contractors cannot begin work until the water recedes. Once conditions improve, we will deploy resources to affected areas,” said Mr Rokoduru.