Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Doctor Mahendra Reddy says a team of environmental officers will be deployed to the Lau Group this week to monitor the air qualify.
Dr Reddy says they recorded slightly acidic rainfall on Monday and Tuesday this week with pH levels ranging from 4.08 to 4.99.
He says the Ministry has been in touch with experts who have advised that if the pH of water slightly decreases then nature has its own way to counter it.
Dr Reddy says in addition to the advice published this week, members of the public should thoroughly wash any agricultural produce before consuming it and follow advisories by the Water Authority of Fiji with regards to the suitability of drinking water.
He says it is too early to say the impact of this eruption on marine life but generally, the volcanic ash and pumice can have an impact on marine life and ecosystems.
Dr Reddy adds they are testing any impact on the marine ecosystem at the moment.
The Minister for Waterways also says most of the flooding we saw during TC Cody was due to the river banks breaking under the strain of excessive rain and the Ministry is continuing to protect our communities from these climate-driven storms that produce intense rain.
Dr Reddy says last year they undertook a 1-kilometre widening program at the Ba River near Votua Village which allowed water to recede very quickly thus causing no major damage to the town and nearby communities. He adds the next step is to dredge the river mouth.
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