Residents of Ellington Settlement in Rakiraki are calling for urgent action to address water shortages that they say have affected them for more than 30 years, as the river they rely on is now drying up due to the effects of El Niño.
Speaking to fijivillage News, a resident says more than 20 families depend on the river for their water supply, but falling water levels have left families without water for days at a time, affecting their ability to carry out daily household chores.
He says the river is also their source of drinking water, however it is usually contaminated by dirt, bacteria, dead plants and animals, as well as animal urine and waste.
The resident says there have even been instances when animal fur from a dead animal was found in the water.
He expresses frustration that the Water Authority of Fiji has not responded to their concerns despite numerous attempts to contact the authority by phone and email.
He says residents have to walk approximately 3 to 4 kilometres to reach the river and repair the pipes themselves whenever they are damaged or washed away by heavy rain or flooding to restore their water supply.
The residents are calling on the Government to provide a borehole.
They are also requesting that the Water Authority of Fiji consider extending the water pipes from the Duadua and Wananavu Resort junction to their community.
The resident says the distance to the Rarapatu area is only a few kilometres, and this extension would make a significant difference to the health and well-being of residents.
fijivillage News had earlier sent questions to the Water Authority of Fiji seeking an update on what is being done to address the issue and whether there are plans to extend the water network from the Rarapatu area towards Ellington Settlement, but no response was received.
We have sent questions to WAF again.
We have also sent questions to Ministry of Land.
