Families in the four villages on Batiki Island continue to ration their limited water supplies despite earlier emergency deliveries, as creeks dry up and farmers begin to see their cassava crops wilt.
Batiki District Representative Tevita Tavodi told fijivillage News that although the island received some rain, it was only a light drizzle and was not enough to ease the dry conditions.
He says water levels in creeks used by villagers for bathing have dropped, while other water sources are slowly drying up.
Insert: (VITIFM)Tavodi on water level. 16th October,26
Tavodi says families in Manuku Village are carefully managing the limited water remaining in their dam as they struggle to meet their daily needs.
He says farmers are also feeling the impact of the dry weather, with cassava leaves beginning to wilt.
Tavodi says the Water Authority of Fiji has visited the island to carry out maintenance on a dam located in the hills, which villagers came across while searching for alternative water sources.
He says although government water assistance was delivered to the island, followed by further supplies from Levuka, the deliveries have not been enough to meet residents' needs.
Tavodi says Batiki District School currently has sufficient water, with its tanks filled and two additional tanks provided through the assistance programme.
However, he says no additional water tanks have been provided to the four villages, where families continue to struggle with limited supplies.
The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Risk Management had earlier coordinated emergency water deliveries through the Divisional Commissioner Eastern Office and the Water Authority of Fiji, prioritising the school and health centre while assessing alternative water sources.
Questions have been sent to the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Risk Management asking whether further water assistance will be provided to the affected villages.
