Over 300 residents of Yaladro and Garampani in Tavua will no longer have to worry about crossing the flooded road to get to Tavua town during the rainy season.
This follows the completion of drainage works by the Ministry of Waterways that will benefit more than 300 households, including farmers and school children.
Advisory Counselor, Paras Ram Reddy said the Yaladro road used by residents of Garampani and Yaladro often floods during rainy days as the drains are clogged with soil and sand due to runoff.
He added that due to continuous rain over a period of two days, flooded roads disrupted bus services in the community.
"As a result of the flooded roads and the halt in transportation services, farmers in Yaladro and Garampani had a difficult time transporting their produce to market," Mr Reddy said.
“Most of the residents from these areas are farmers and they mostly depend of farming for their household income.
“Flooding prevents their produce from reaching the market resulting in loss of income. In addition to this, school children are also not able to attend school."
To address these concerns, the Ministry of Waterways, under the "Drainage for Rural Residential" program, has assisted the communities with desilting works to safeguard their settlement from flooding and to ensure that their daily activities are not adversely affected.
Minister for Waterways, Environment and Agriculture Dr. Mahendra Reddy said their services such as drainage works will continue despite various challenges faced by the Ministry due to COVID-19 restrictions.
He said Government's primary objective is to ensure communities around the country are well protected against floods given the restricted movement due to the pandemic and that the Ministry of Waterways will continue to assist rural households with their drainage and flood mitigation program.