More than 140 households living on Malake Island off the coast of Rakiraki have commended government for making quality water accessible to them.
For years, residents of Malake have depended on informal water sources including rainfall as a source of water supply. However following an application and approval process, a new $248,000 dam was constructed for Fijians living here.
For residents like Sairusi Caucau, this latest development has been “decades in the waiting for many households”.
“This is like my childhood prayer being answered. Since we were kids we have been drinking rain water,” Mr Caucau said. “Because the water in the well could not cater for all of us we went to the extent of collecting rain water.”
Mr Caucau said that the latest development removes the “burden of worrying” for many families who often pay a lot money to source water or to request officials for clean drinking water.
“Last year was one of the hardest for us in the village. We were badly affected. The only water supply we had was at the mainland which was an expensive exercise,” she said.
Government’s Provincial administrator in Ra, Kelepi Kubunameca said access to quality water and other basic facilities and resources is at the heart of the Fijian Government’s programmes.
Kubunameca said that Fijians living in rural and remote parts of the country have a genuine desire to see basic services provided to them. He added that Government’s vision of seeing this realised in these communities is a commendable move.
“I am honoured to be part of this historic event of seeing these communities finally having access to water,” Mr Kubunameca said.
DEPTFO