Residents in Lautoka continue to raise concerns about smoke from the Vunato Rubbish Dump, with rubbish dumping concerns also continuing as the Lautoka City Council say it will take two to three weeks before it is fully extinguished
Residents have raised concerns about the impact of the thick smoke on surrounding communities, with some reporting breathing difficulties.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Lautoka resident and journalism student Rishika Nair says the situation remains unchanged, with smoke still affecting the area.
Another resident says the smoke has continued to spread into nearby areas, affecting people living around the landfill.
The resident says similar incidents have occurred at the dump around the same time in previous years, raising concerns about the recurring problem.
Meanwhile, Lautoka City Council Head of Service Shalend Singh says the National Fire Authority has been assisting the Council since yesterday afternoon and has assured its support.
Singh says the Council has managed to prevent the fire from spreading and is currently working to extinguish fires in two sections of the landfill.
He says given the magnitude of the fire, it will take two to three weeks before it is fully extinguished.
However, Singh says smoke levels are expected to decrease in the coming days as firefighting operations continue around the clock, with Council teams working in two 12-hour shifts.
He says an excavator has also been engaged to assist with the operation.
Singh says the Council has distributed face masks to residents in Vunato, California and Veidogo settlements, with another distribution planned for this afternoon.
He is also urging CPRs not to enter the landfill while firefighting operations are underway.
Singh says the Minister and Permanent Secretary for Local Government are in regular contact with the Council and have assured their support.
