Businesses in several towns within the western division, including Ba and Rakiraki, faced disruptions due to severe weather conditions. Rising water levels forced the closure of numerous businesses as water flooded into shops both in Ba and Rakiraki. Moshin Khan, the special administrator chair of Ba Town Council, emphasized that the decision to close down operations was made to protect local businesses from water damage.
Khan and his team have been coordinating with the Ba Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Fiji National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Fiji Police, and the National Fire Authority (NFA) to manage the situation. Although Ba Main Street was initially open, it began closing around 1 PM to 2 PM, while the Market Arcade experienced flooding as early as 7 AM.
In Tavua, health inspector Serevi Nabura reported the MaxVal-U supermarket had to close for the day. While Tavua remained mostly open, it was impacted by flooding near the Shop N Shop supermarket due to runoff from the river. Similarly, Rakiraki town was forced to shut down as water levels from the creek rose significantly.
In contrast, Nadi and Nadroga/Navosa reported a different scenario. Muni Reddy, chief executive officer of Nadi Town Council, stated that businesses were operating normally and focusing on cleanup efforts. Suresh Naidu, chairman of the Nadroga Navosa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that business activities continued as usual in the region.
Summary: Businesses in Ba and Rakiraki were adversely affected by flooding due to recent severe weather, leading to closures and coordinated recovery efforts. Meanwhile, Nadi and Nadroga/Navosa experienced minimal disruption and have begun cleanup to return to regular operations.
This situation underscores the resilience of local businesses and their ability to adapt to
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