Vunivere farmers struggle as water shortage drags on

Fifteen families in Vunivere, Seaqaqa, have been forced to travel to neighbouring communities to collect water after nearly a month without a reliable supply.

Residents say the prolonged disruption has made basic household activities a daily struggle, while sugarcane farmers are finding it difficult to balance harvesting duties with the need to collect water.

Sugarcane farmer Atish Kumar said families had become frustrated with the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) over what they described as repeated failures to resolve the community's water problems.

Mr Kumar said residents had to use their own vehicles to collect water from other parts of Seaqaqa where supplies remained available.

"We have to use our transport to go to other locations in Seaqaqa where water supply is normal to store water in our bottles, utensils and storage containers to satisfy our daily needs," he shared.

For families in the rural Macuata settlement, preparing meals, bathing, washing dishes and maintaining basic hygiene have become increasingly difficult.

Mr Kumar said the disruption had also affected sugarcane harvesting activities, with residents having to spend time collecting water instead of attending to their farms.

He said repeated attempts to seek assistance from relevant authorities had brought little relief.

"Our lives are at stake here, every day feels like hell because we are left behind and government seems to be disinterested to hear our plea," he said.

Mr Kumar said residents had approached the Fiji Sun after becoming frustrated with what he described as unfulfilled promises of visits from relevant government agencies.

He said other areas of Seaqaqa continued to receive water, while Vunivere remained affected.

Repeated disruptions

The settlement has experienced water supply problems on several occasions this year, with some disruptions lasting for months.

Previous Fiji Sun reports highlighted residents' difficulties, after which WAF addressed a fault in the water infrastructure, allowing the reservoir to be refilled and supply to reach homes.

However, residents say the problems have returned.

Another sugarcane farmer, Ilisoni Nate, said unreliable water supply had become a recurring problem for the community.

Mr Nate said the disruption appeared to resurface after each repair, leaving residents concerned that no lasting solution had been found.

Residents are now calling for a permanent fix rather than repeated short-term repairs.

Authorities contacted

The Fiji Sun contacted WAF by email for comment but had not received a response when this edition went to press.

The Commissioner Northern's Office has been working with the Ministry of Rural, Maritime and Disaster Management and WAF to coordinate water carting assistance for affected communities.

The Divisional Planning Officer (DPO) Northern was informed of the Vunivere residents' request for assistance by email last Friday.

The officer indicated that the request would be forwarded to WAF for intervention and relief assistance.

"I will follow up with them (WAF) again," she added.

Residents are awaiting assistance as they continue travelling outside their settlement to collect water for their daily needs.