Thousands of people living in the Lami, Suva and Nausori corridor will have to wait for another 4 to 5 months for consistent water supply as the Minister for Public Works, Ro Filipe Tuisawau and the Water Authority of Fiji have not agreed to some terms with the Vanua of Viria regarding the Viria Water Project.
Ro Filipe says the previous government did not include the needs of the landowners in the Viria Water Treatment Plant agreement.
With the commissioning of the project being delayed, people are starting to question when will the Viria system come online.
Ro Filipe says he is liaising with the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry for Lands and the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs on ongoing issues with the landowners.
He says they have agreed to 90 percent of the issues that were brought up including areas where the youths can be employed, the roads and water connections.
The Minister says this is an expensive exercise and they will advise everyone when they reach an agreement.
Ro Filipe also says in the future, they will be including the needs of the landowners in any development agreement.
Ro Filipe says the issue regarding the Viria Project was moving forward from the conception stage, but it did not incorporate the major stakeholder which is the Vanua of Viria.
He says these are the 2 issues they have discussed and have a general agreement that this shall be done.
The Minister also confirms that once everything is sorted with the Viria Water Project, they will provide water to those affected in the urban and rural areas that have been without water since the colonial days, including the districts of Namara and Verata in Tailevu.
We are currently trying to speak to former Infrastructure Minister, Jone Usamate.
