Twenty-three houses in Nagigi, Labasa, have been dealing with a severe water supply issue for the past four weeks. The problem has worsened the residents’ struggles during this dry season.
Jamila Bi, a 65-year-old sugarcane farmer and one of the oldest residents in the area, expressed her concerns, stating that the lack of water has significantly impacted their ability to conduct essential farm work.
“We haven’t been able to hire labourers to harvest our cane because there’s no water supply,” she said.
The ongoing water crisis underscores the urgent need for solutions to address the seasonal shortages affecting the community.
“Water is a basic necessity for everyone, and as an employer, I am unable to provide it for my workers. How can I ask them to work under these conditions?” Ms Bi added.
“Our extended family of 11 members, including schoolchildren, faces significant struggles because of this lack of water.”
Her son, Firoz Ali, said that on July 21, he contacted the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to request a water cart for their household. He was given request number 2246649. Despite this request, their water supply issues remain unresolved.
“It has been more than a week since we first reported the issue.”
“When I said that I would inform the minister, they asked me not to and promised that they would supply water today.”
“However, there has still been no response,” Mr Ali said.
“The 23 houses are located about 15km from Labasa Town, and most of us are farmers. It’s frustrating that we are not receiving support from the Government.”
He said they have been raising this issue with the WAF for many years and have requested that they identify a different water source.
The current water supply comes from a catchment at Mateniwai in Macuata, which was established as a community project in 1977.
His neighbor, Asilika Marama, said that she used to fetch water from a nearby well, which has dried up.
“I have to send two children to school and look after my three-year-old girl who is still in diapers at home,” Ms Marama said.
“My husband has to walk to the main road to get water from the next-door community.”
Another resident, Komal Sharma, said that their livelihood depends on sugarcane farming and that managing to send two children to Nagigi Primary School without a reliable water supply has been a struggle.
“I would like to request the Government to at least consider the impact on our children who are going to school,” Ms Sharma said.
“We don’t live far from Labasa Town.”
“If WAF could take the time to investigate the issues with the catchment and inform us about alternative ways to get water, it would be greatly appreciated.”
Sameer Hussein and Razil Hussein, two brothers from Nagigi, emphasized that the community’s church, temple, and mosque all need a reliable water supply.
They believe that ensuring access to water at these places of worship is essential for the community to continue their regular prayer programs.
“The 2000 litres of water that WAF gives every two weeks upon request from us is not enough,” Mr Hussein said.
“We had written so many letters to the relevant authorities asking them to look into our plight, but so far, all our requests have remained unanswered.”
An email was sent to the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to clarify the problems faced by Nagigi residents and to seek assistance. No response had been received by the time of publication last night.