Borehole brings relief to community

FOR Fijians like Joape Turukawa, having to cart water from the river using bullocks and 44 gallon drums will now be a thing of the past after the commissioning of a borehole at Tavuto Settlement, Sigatoka.

The borehole which was commissioned by Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Jone Usamate will cater for the more than 60 Fijians in the area.

“Life was very hard when we don’t have access to clean and safe drinking water. We used to cart water from the river using bullocks and 44-gallon drums. We only use it for bathing and washing because its unsafe for drinking,” Turukawa said.

“We also had constructed a small dam for our water catchment but during dry season it always dries up,” he said.

Mr Turukawa added those living in the settlement had applied for the Government assistance back in 2016 when they were informed of the Fijian Government’s initiative on the construction of boreholes in rural areas.

“We were lucky to be selected to be part of this program. We thanked the then Minister for Lands and the Fijian Government for listening to our complaints and taking care of our needs.”

“Now we have access to safe and clean drinking water in our taps.”

While officiating at the event, Minister Usamate said the people of Tavuto Settlement will now be able to enjoy a better life as water plays a crucial role in their daily lives; from drinking, bathing, washing and cleaning.

“I am pleased to inform the people of Tavuto that your long wait is over now and I applaud you for your patience and tolerance.” “This community has experienced critical water shortages annually especially during the dry season. This $47,000 project brings the assurance of an improved, reliable and sustainable supply of the quality of water,” he said.

Minister Usamate also urged villagers to use other reliable and safe water sources for example rainfall harvesting which should not be neglected and should be maintained to supplement ground water.

Life was very hard when we don’t have access to clean and safe drinking water. We used to cart water from the river using bull-ocks and 44-gallon drums. We only use it for bathing and washing because its unsafe for drinking. We also had constructed a small dam for our water catchment but during dry season it always dries up

Joape Turukawa Farmer