It was not our contractor - Telecom and Vodafone

Telecom Fiji Limited and Vodafone Fiji have confirmed that they did not engage Fibre Network Engineering Communications Pte Ltd to lay fibre cables along Princes Road, and they do not use FNE Communications for any of their fibre projects.

This follows concerns being raised on which contractor damaged the 600mm main water line along Princes Road, Tamavua, causing thousands of residents in Tamavua, Samabula, Mead Road, Nabua, Waimanu Road, Walu Bay and Lami to experience water cuts for the last few days.

Telecom Fiji says they always considered FNE's method of using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) in urban areas as highly risky due to the presence of other utility infrastructure underground.

It further says that there have been many incidents of FNE damaging Telecom's cables, including one which caused a nationwide internet outage in 2022 for several hours due to the damage caused to their underground fibre optic cables in Vatuwaqa near the Cable Landing Station.

They say this incident of damage to WAF's main supply lines is a clear demonstration of the risks associated with using the HDD method and the impact it can have.

Vodafone Fiji's Head of eCommerce, Shailendra Prasad says Vodafone Fiji is not involved in any roadside drilling or fiber-trenching civil works along Princes Road.

He says FNE Communications is not contracted with Vodafone Fiji.

Water Authority of Fiji confirms the contractor that conducted the work along Princes Road in Tamavua was FNE Communications.

They say when visiting the site, their drilling machinery is evidently near the proximity of the repair site.

We have sent questions to Digicel Fiji, and they have yet to respond.

We have also sent questions to FNE Communications. They are yet to respond.

Water supply is expected to be restored to residents living along Waimanu Road, Lekutu Street, Mal Street, Toganivalu Street, Moti Street, Boron Road, the elevated areas of Talasiga Street, Sese Street, Matanitobua Street and Raiwasa as the Water Authority of Fiji will be installing a temporary bend for the sole purpose of providing some form of water supply to customers who reside in these areas.

While providing an update on the works conducted along Princes Road in Tamavua, WAF Chief Operating Officer Seru Soderberg stresses that they will shut down the main line again tomorrow morning to install the newly fabricated bend.

Soderberg says upon assessment of the damages, the team noted that the damage caused by the Horizontal Directional Drilling was quite extensive, and they could not repair it on-site.

He says they have engaged Elisha Engineering Limited to fabricate a new bend so that this issue will not happen again after one year.

Soderberg adds that the fabricated bend will be completed in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

The Chief Operating Officer says 40 water trucks continue to provide water carting to their customers in affected areas. If people need or want water carting to be undertaken, they can call 5777, and water carting trucks will provide water carting to their property.

Soderberg said when they assessed the damages, they had noted that all the damages were confined to the bend itself.

The damaged 600mm main line along Princes Road caused water cuts to people living in Tamavua, Samabula, Mead Road, Nabua, Waimanu Road, Walu Bay and Lami.

The bore that ruptured the main is over 100mm in size.

The affected areas include residents living in: - Tip Top: Ratu Mara Rd, Milo Shop - Raiwasa, Shalimar Street, Bidesi, Lewadua, Dilio, Gaji Road, Beddoes, Karan Singh, Koroi, Lagilagi Housing, Falvey, Udit Narayan Street and Aidney Road.

- Rewa Street: Kikau, Talasiga, Sese, Dhanji, Ruve Street, Lekutu Street, Buksh Street, Borron Road, Howell Road, Silimaibau, Akuila Bale, Rose, Armstrong, Alexander, Milverton, George Place, Upper Nairai, Bryce, Raisara, Cheng Place, McFarlane, Wilkinson Street, Hunter, Laucala Bay, Ratu Sukuna Road, Bau Street, Serua, Carew, Short Le Hunte, Knolly St, Marion, Dilio Street, Belo Street, Kula Street, Kaka Street, Karan Singh Road, Beddoes Street, Moti Street, Tawake Street, Matanitobua Road, Ritova Street, Kini Street, Brown Street, Augustus Street and Nailuva Road.

Waimanu Road: 15 A & 15B: Waimanu Rd, Boro, Toganivalu, Sawani, Mal Street and Extension Street.

- Mead Road: Bayview Heights, Nabua, Sukanaivalu Road, Sawau Street, Yohann Place, Vuibau Place, Sam Lal Street, Paul Sloan Street, Joyce Perks Street, Nabua Top Line, March Place, Maddocks Street, Nabua Road, Lavena Road, Pikeu Street, Finau Street, Nabua Town, Volavola Road and Evetts Place

- Samabula: Bureta Street, Tuvana Place, Tubou Street, Lakeba Street, Helsen Street, Komo Street, Aiwa Street, Naiyau Street, Sovu Place, Kabara Street, Fulaga Street, Namuka Street, Ono Street, Moala Street, Vatoa Street, Munia Street, Totoya Street.

- Walu Bay: Foster Road, Eliza Street, Syria Road, Rona Street, Sonoma Street, Leonidas Street, Argo Street, Matua Street, Amra Street, Tofua Street, Rokobili, Tamavua Road, Reservoir Road, Mavoa Road, Mali Place, Saint Giles Hospital, Uluvatu Road, Nauluvatu, Kasavu Road.

- Lami: Wailada Subdivision, Nukuatu Street, Vetaia Street, Lami Town, Nasevou Street, Labiko Street, Powell Crescent, Nakula Street, Naimawi Street, Waimate Street, Waivote Street, Qauia Street.

- Marine Drive: Ragunath Drive, Vatuvia Street, Qelea Road.

Affected schools include Samabula Primary School, Fiji National University - Samabula Campus, Suva Primary School, Gospel Primary School, Gospel High School, Suva Sangam School, Jay Narayan School, Indra Gandhi Primary School, Marist Brothers High School, Yat Sen Secondary School, Holy Trinity School, University of Fiji - Samabula School, Arya Samaj Primary School, Marist Primary School, Neru Primary School, Hilton Special School, LDS Primary School, Fiji School of Nursing, Tamavua Primary, Jack and Jill, Nabua Primary School, Nabua Secondary School, Suva Muslim Primary, Suva Muslim Secondary, Polytech Institute, Saint Agnes Primary School and Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, Navesi Primary School, Isa Lei Secondary School, Lami SDA School - Suvavou, Lami Primary and Lami High School, Lami Convent Primary School, Chauhan Memorial School, Waiqanake Primary School, Monfort Boys Town, Saint Thomas Aquinas Primary School and Ballentine Memorial School – Delainavesi.

For some of the areas affected, they have had no water since Monday.