The commissioning of a 21,000-liter water tank at Nawi Village this morning by the Minister for Works, Public Utilities and Transport Timoci Natuva brought relief to these villagers at Buca Bay in Cakaudrove province.
Mr Natuva says the $66,414.55 water project shows Government’s commitment in lifting standards of people living in rural areas.
He told villagers that within the next four years many villages will receive basic access to water and markets for their products as roads are upgraded.
“There’s still more that needs to be done,” Mr Natuva said.
“We have been travelling around the country and despite the fact it has been 40 years since independence, a lot of development still needs to be carried out in many villages.
“Government is therefore indebted to villages for all these developments that need to happen.”
Mr Natuva added that it was a partnership with the people whereby Government carried out infrastructural developments while the people needed to commit to work hard to develop their resources.
Turaga ni Mataqali Nadaraga of the Mabuco Clan Iosefo Nayavadrega said water problems had often beset villagers, who had been reliant on a smaller water tank with a capacity for 10,000 gallons of water.
The water project, which lasted eight weeks involved the construction of a 21,000 gallon ferro cement tank, the laying of 450 lengths 50 mm UPVC pipes from the dam to the village and the installation of 33 household connections and communal standpipes and showers.
The new volume will cater for both village households and the Nawi Catholic Primary School.
“What a relief for our villagers and we are happy with the Government,” Mr Nayavadrega said.
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