Eighteen dredging companies are undertaking dredging in the Rewa River to maintain the discharge capacity and avoid any major flooding.[File Image]

Eighteen dredging companies are undertaking dredging in the Rewa River to maintain the discharge capacity and avoid any major flooding.

This was highlighted by Minister for Waterways, Doctor Mahendra Reddy who says much of the flooding during Tropical Cyclone Cody was because the banks of the rivers broke under the strain of flooding.

Doctor Reddy says they are also in talks with another dredging company to dredge the Waidamu River.

He adds work had commenced but got stalled due to the pandemic.

The Minister says dredging is being carried out upstream the Navua River which allowed fast flow out of water during heavy rain in the past.

In Sigatoka, the river mouth and 1.5km from it was successfully dredged in 2019, and Doctor Reddy says work carried out until now has prevented flooding in the town.

He says in Nadi, the town has been successfully protected from any major flooding as a result of the construction of five retention dams upstream and dredging of Nawaka and Nadi River.

The Ministry undertook a river widening near Votua village in Ba, which allowed water to recede quickly thus not causing any major damage to the town and nearby communities during the recent flooding.

In Tavua, one kilometer from the river mouth has been cleared while the remaining 12 kilometers until the Tavua Bridge will be cleared this year.

Doctor Reddy says major dredging works undertaken in Nakauvadra River in 2020 has protected the town from any flooding since then.

He says the Ministry will be undertaking major dredging work on rivers in Vanua Levu over the next 24 months starting with small equipment’s first and a dredger from January next year.