Mangrove Planting Ends Special Day

Two Cabinet ministers and Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) officials ended World Water Day celebrations in Lautoka yesterday by planting 150 mangrove plants at Saweni Beach.

Minister for Local Government, Infrastructure and Transport Parveen Bala and Waterways Minister Mahendra Reddy officiated at the event.

WAF Customer Services general manager Sekove Uluinayau said the event coincided with the theme of the day which was “Nature for Water”.

“This is part of the UN World Water Day celebrations and the activity we are doing here is related to the theme of the celebrations, so in planting these mangroves we are giving back to nature,” Mr Uluinayau said.

He said this was their way of doing their part in protecting one of nature’s most important resources for human beings - water. “Because most development nowadays have taken away these things so this is our little bid to help in conserving

Mr Reddy said water played a strategic and pivotal role in poverty alleviation through enhancing food security for rural, interior and maritime communities.

our natural marine resources,” Mr Uluinayau said.

Mr Reddy said the importance of water cannot be understated.

“It is a shared common resource vital to life and in sustaining the environment to play a central role in the social and economic development of Fiji,” he said. Mr Reddy said water played a strategic and pivotal role in poverty alleviation through enhancing food security for rural, interior and maritime communities.