Ba teen joins flood recovery effort on Main Street

While many students enjoyed an unexpected day off from school following adverse weather conditions, Xavier College Year 9 student Aiyan Kumar spent his Monday ankle-deep in mud, helping his parents clean their family shop along Ba’s Main Street.

The 14-year-old was among several students who chose to assist their families as businesses recovered from Sunday’s floodwaters.

“I have been assisting my parents with cleaning since 7.30 am,” he said.

“Muddy water entered the shop on Sunday around 3 pm and receded later that night. It left a huge amount of debris and mud to clear.”

Armed with buckets and brooms, Aiyan worked alongside his parents to salvage stock and scrub floors, determined to help the family business reopen as soon as possible.

He said it was the first flood of 2026 and hoped there would not be a repeat of previous years.

“It affects business and is a hassle,” he said.

Elsewhere in town, Shaynal Chand and Rohan Kumar used a water blaster to remove debris from their parts shop, while Sukhu Narayan and Junior Naidu drew water from Elevuka Creek to wash down pavements.

"This is the same concrete pavement that was completed to contain this part of the building, which was affected by land slide last year," said Mr Naidu.

As cleanup efforts continued, Ba Town Council Special Administrator Yogesh Naidu confirmed that health inspections were underway.

“The council health inspectors are conducting thorough inspections across all supermarkets to ensure food safety,” he said.

“Any items deemed unsafe or contaminated will be condemned and removed immediately.

“Our priority is protecting the health and well-being of the community. Please remain patient as supermarkets undergo these checks. We encourage everyone to purchase only from inspected and cleared outlets.”