The Precious 2-litre Bottle Which Hydrates a Family of 10 in a Day
Lekini Vasukiwai of Naivikinikini Village in Lami often shares a single two-litre water bottle among his family for drinking purposes.
The village near Lami Town approximately has 30 houses. They, like most in the Lami-Suva-Nausori Corridor, are facing the same water issue for almost two weeks now.
Mr Vasukiwai grew up in Naivikinikini. He is 69 years old and blind.
He has never experienced such a water issue like this before.
The ten people in his household often struggle to get water, as the taps come on between 2am and 3am.
So, I keep the water bottle in my room, whenever I leave to go somewhere I lock it in the room. Lekini Vasukiwai Naivikinikini resident
But that window isn’t enough, let alone reasonable, to get them started or take them through the day.
As such, the family often goes to the neighbour’s house outside the village to fill up their two-litre bottle.
They’re lucky if the neighbours are home or agree to it.
There are four students household.
“We have to go around looking for water,” Mr Vasukiwai said. “We usually go to our neighbours down the street to ask if they have water.”
Mr Vasukiwai and his family are not alone. Over the last three weeks or so, families, businesses have been experiencing intermittent water supply.
In our recent reports, we highlighted how families waited outside their homes for water trucks to fill their buckets only to be told that the truck had to return to the in his
BOIL DRINKING WATER, SAYS DR FONG
The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong, has called on residents along the Lami-Suva-Nausori Corridor to boil their drinking water to avoid health concerns. Dr Fong made the comment in regards to the current water crisis that had been affecting the Nausori-Lami corridor since Sunday.
“Practice proper hygiene and set health priorities that won’t get them ill during the water crisis,” he said.
“The issue of water safety depot for refill.
Precious water
For Mr Vasukiwai’s family, two-litre bottle is precious.
“Only one bottle like this, we have to share, one family,” Mr Vasukiwai said.
“When this two-litre water bottle runs out, someone has to go and look for water.
“So, I keep the water bottle in my room, whenever I leave to go somewhere I lock it in the room.”
And while the water trucks come to the village, they would be lucky if they got their fill.
The water issue in his area is so severe that they have taken the initiative to build a pit toilet for the family to use since there was no rain due to the dry spell that has been widely reported. that is a paramount focus for the Ministry of Health.
“We feel that given the current predicament with water, any source outside the normal piping system, you need to boil water before you drink it.” Dr Fong said the water issue is an opportune time for diseases to spread if hygiene pratices are not observed.
They include diarrhea and skin diseases from bathing in dirty water. They are all too common in times of water crisis.
“So it is important that regular washing needs to be supplemented with soap and water.”