The Nawailevu Bauxite mine in Vanua Levu is providing new returns for workers ; through the farming of vegetables and fruits at the site following extraction.
Workers at the site have been planting farming produce at the site once bauxite has been extracted.
While visiting the Nawailevu bauxite mine this week, a Work Permit Committee (WPC) led by the Director for Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa were presented with farming produce grown on land that has extracted bauxite minerals.
Nawailevu Mine managing director Mr Isireli Dagaga explains that extracting bauxite from the soil leaves it fertile and allows villagers to use it for commercial farming.
“Once the top layer of soil is mined, we extract the bauxite soil out of it. Once the bauxite soil is removed, we are left with the healthy part of the soil. This healthy part of the soil is then taken back to the mined areas. With the addition of a little fertilizer you can see that vegetables are growing well in the area,” Mr Dagaga said.
“People should understand that the process of extracting bauxite soil in a way is really getting rid of the unhealthy part of the soil. Bauxite is found on the unhealthy parts of soil that is mined,” Mr Dagaga said.
Meanwhile the Work Permit Committee is comprised of the Department of Immigration, the Ministry of Labour, the Fiji Police Force, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Justice.
This committee meets on a weekly basis and deliberates on work permit cases put to it by the secretariat that is made up of permit processing officers.
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