Water Crisis Hits 23 Houses in Labasa

Twenty three houses in Nagigi, Labasa, have faced a severe water supply issue for the past four weeks. The problem has exacerbating the residents’ struggles during this dry season.

Jamila Bi, a 65-year-old sugarcane farmer and one of the oldest residents in the area, shared her concerns, noting that the lack of water has significantly impacted their ability to conduct essential farm work.

“We haven’t been able to hire labourers to harvest our cane because there’s no water supply,” she said.

The ongoing water crisis highlights the urgent need for solutions to address the seasonal shortages affecting the community.

“Water is a basic necessity for everyone, and as an employer, I am unable to provide it for my workers. How can I ask them to work under these conditions?” Ms Bi said.

“Our extended family of 11 members, including schoolchildren, faces significant struggles because of this lack of water.”

Her son, Firoz Ali said on July 21, he contacted the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to request a water cart for their household. He was assigned request number 2246649. Despite this request, their water supply issues have yet to be resolved.

“It has been more than a week since we first reported the issue.

“When I said that I would inform the minister, they asked me not to and promised that they would supply water today.

“However, there has still been no response,” Mr Ali said.

“The 23 houses are located about 15km from Labasa Town, and most of us are farmers. It’s frustrating that we are not receiving support from the Government.”

He said they have been highlighting this issue to the WAF for many years, and have requested that they identify a different water source.

The current water supply comes from a catchment at Mateniwai in Macuata, which was established as a community project in 1977.

His neighbour, Asilika Marama said that she used to fetch water from a nearby well and it dried up.

“I have to send two children to school and look after my three-year-old girl who is on diaper at home,” Ms Marama said.

“My husband has to walk to the main road to get water from the next-door community.”

Another resident, Komal Sharma, said that their livelihood depends on sugarcane farming and that managing to send two children to Nagigi Primary School without a reliable water supply has been a struggle.

“I would like to request the Government to at least consider the impact on our children who are going to school,” Ms Sharma said.

“We don’t live far from Labasa Town.

“If WAF could take the time to investigate the issues with the catchment and inform us about alternative ways to get water, it would be greatly appreciated.”

Sameer Hussein and Razil Hussein, two brothers from Nagigi, emphasised that the community’s church, temple, and mosque all deserve a reliable water supply.

“They believe that ensuring access to water at these places of worship is essential for the community to continue their regular prayer programmes.

“The 2000 litres of water that WAF gives after every two weeks upon request from us is not enough,” Mr Hussein said.

“We had written so many letters to the relevant authorities asking them to look into plight for over so many years remained unanswered.”

An email was sent to the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to clarify the problems faced by Nagigi residents and to ask for help. No response had been received by the time of publication last night.

Feedback: shratikan@fijisun.com.fj