$80K borehole brings relief for Cawalevu residents
Jone Usamate, the Acting Minister for Rural and Maritime Development, was dubbed The Good Samaritan after he commissioned the new water source to a community in the Bua Province.
Cawalevu Settlement resident, Maria Evans, expressed her heartfelt gratitude when the $80, 000 borehole project was commissioned on Wednesday.
The community of 30 residents situated on the moderately drier side of Vanua Levu faced regular droughts and a reduction of about 50 per cent of the annual rainfall count.
Ms Evans said the borehole development would not only sustain the current population with their daily usage, but future generations to come.
“When basic infrastructure such as clean drinking water is not available, there is a high probability of migration,” she said.
“The Bua Provincial Council also ensured that our requests was on its immediate water projects list.”
She has lived past the struggles of inadequate water supply for about seven years when she first moved to the settlement.
“But, now all this struggles are over with a readily available water source of 28,800 litres in eight hours pumping time to be accessible each day,” she said.
Mr Usamate applauded the patience of the residents in their pursuit to address permanent water sourcing capabilities.
“Groundwater is a supplementary source and must be strictly used for drinking purposes only during the dry periods of the year,” he said.
The biggest challenge in ensuring that freshwater aquifers and lenses were sustainable was the risk triggered by climate change.
Government had committed a significant budget to cart water on an annual basis.
But now youths, vulnerable members and children’s lives will be greatly improved. Activities such as drinking, bathing, washing and cleaning will become a manageable task from now on.
Mr Usamate requested residents to manage the resource appropriately.