Dredging underway in Tavua, Fiji

Fijian Government has officially kicked off dredging works along the Nasivi River in Tavua as a part of their efforts to safeguard the township of Tavua and its adjacent communities from flooding.

According to the Ministry of Waterways, a total of 3 kilometres of river will be dredged to allow for the free flow of water out to the sea.

While commissioning the dredging works at Tavualevu Village in Tavua today, Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment, Dr Mahendra Reddy said that the desilting works will ease the water flow of the river during heavy rain.

“The Government is committed to building resilience amongst our communities and we will do this carefully, addressing issues pertaining to waterways, through increasing the conveyance capacity and releasing the free flow of water,” he said.

Tavualevu Village Matanivanua, Mr Tupa Telawa said that during the annual rainy season, the village is constantly flooded and crops on village farms are washed away.

He acknowledged the continuous dredging works that had been undertaken by the Ministry of Waterways at the Nasivi River over the years and works currently being conducted, will mitigate flooding and safeguard local farms and homes.

Over the next few weeks, the dredging works will be carried out 3km downstream of the river mouth from Tavua town and will include the removal of debris and silted material from the river.